


Shadows of the Past

by Groucho Stark (TotallyInsaney)



Category: Animaniacs
Genre: Blood, Childhood Trauma, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Long Lost/Secret Relatives, Nightmares, Past Child Abuse, Protective Siblings, Secrets, Selectively mute Wakko (past), Yakko is trying his best
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-14 12:42:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 21,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29171313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TotallyInsaney/pseuds/Groucho%20Stark
Summary: A toon man approaches Wakko and Dot, claiming to be their father. Yakko warns them to stay away from him, but won't elaborate why. So Wakko goes in search of answers about their past, and attempts to get to know "dear dadoo." After all, what could go wrong?
Relationships: Dot Warner & Wakko Warner & Yakko Warner, Dr. Otto Scratchansniff & Dot Warner & Wakko Warner & Yakko Warner, Wakko Warner & Yakko Warner
Comments: 163
Kudos: 146





	1. Arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooo people! I've had this idea rattling around in my brain for a bit, and since I'm very close to finishing Never Go Back, I figured why not start something new.

_It was a dark and cloudy night in Burbank, California. The roads were lit up with amber streetlights, casting shadows on buildings as cars drove by. Warner Studios movie lot was empty, with most executives, actors, directors, and other employees having gone home hours ago. In fact, the only person on the lot was the security guard at the entrance, Ralph._

_He was fast asleep in his booth, as usual. So he didn't notice when a purple bike slipped under the barrier hauling a rusted red wagon behind it. The wagon was carrying two bundled blankets._

_The rider was a 7 year old toon boy, pedalling carefully as to not disturb his cargo. His clothes were torn, dirty, and slightly burned. Once he made it a little ways past the gate, the boy stopped to check on the contents of the wagon._

_He walked up to it and lifted the blanket to reveal two small toddlers, a boy and girl. His siblings. At the disturbance, the two both opened their eyes. The boy, who was 3, started chewing on his knuckles as he stared up at the sky._

_The girl, who was only 2, smiled happily at her eldest brother. "Yakyak!" She squeaked, pulling herself upright. Her immediate older brother followed, still chewing his knuckles._

_"That's right." He replied with a smile._

_The two younger children looked around curiously. "Where mama?" The girl asked._

_The eldest shook his head. "Mama can't come, so she's having me look after you two."_

_The younger boy took his hand out of his mouth, making an unintelligible grunt and pointing around them._

_"This is our new home, Wak." At least, that's what he had always been told. The boy hoped the people there would let them stay. He didn't know of anywhere else they could go. They were orphans._

_Still, they needed a place to stay, at least for the night. The sets on the lot were all closed, as were the executive buildings. Finally, he came across a place that wasn't locked. The empty water tower. He nodded to himself once his siblings were back asleep swaddled in the blanket. Yes, this would do for now._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think so far? I'm going for a slow burn this time around, so this will be resolved, just a bit later.


	2. Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we're into the water tower with the kiddos being their regular ages of 14, 10, and 9. And it's focusing more on Wakko.

_His nightmare always began the same, with him wandering alone through an empty house. A house that was vaguely familiar, but he could never recall from where. And then, everything would flip to Yakko holding onto his hand as they ran through an endless hallway. Dot was cradled in Yakko's free arm, her face buried in his chest._

_They were running from the monster with glowing red eyes, razor sharp claws, and a large mouth filled with pointy fangs. It always chased them, calling out to them. Not in a demonic growl, but in a sickly sweet tone. Somehow that made it worse. He'd trip occasionally, but Yakko never let go of his hand._

_Sometimes, the monster would catch them. He'd snatch up Dot from Yakko's arms and gobble her up in one bite. Yakko would be the next to go, yelling for Wakko to run as the monster chewed him up. And then he'd reach out for Wakko, blood dripping from his teeth._

_He'd try to run, but it always felt like his feet were filled with lead. Wakko was trapped and helpless. Worse yet, he couldn't even find his voice to scream. As the monster picked Wakko up to dangle him above his mouth, he would taunt him._

_"What's the matter, kid? Cat got your tongue?" Every time, right before dropping him._

And then he'd wake up screaming his lungs out. Like now. His screams ceased at the sound of Yakko falling ungracefully out of bed, swearing under his breath. In an instant, he was at Wakko's side.

"What's going on? You okay?" The eldest Warner asked, his expression full of worry.

Wakko pulled his knees to his chest. "... I had the nightmare again." His brother began rubbing circles into his back.

"I'm gonna make you some hot chocolate. You want me to stay with you for the rest of the night?" Wordlessly, the middle Warner nodded.

Yakko pulled away to head into their kitchen. Luckily, his screams hadn't woken Dot this time. She would freak out over them, because she said it sounded like he was being killed. A blue mug entered his vision and he reached out for it.

"Thanks." He mumbled, taking a sip. Whipped cream was smearing onto his nose and around his mouth, but he didn't mind.

His brother shrugged, reaching under his red hat to ruffle his fur. "It's what I'm here for, baby bro. Battling monsters is part of the job description." Once the hot chocolate was finished, Yakko placed the mug on the floor to get tomorrow.

"Can you stay?" Wakko asked while Yakko tucked him back in.

"I'm not going anywhere." He stated. The middle Warner held his pinky out.

"Pinky promise?" With a smile, Yakko linked their pinkies together.

"Pinky promise. Now get back to sleep. It's late." He lifted Wakko's hat to place a kiss on his forehead, lying down next to him. Wakko fell back asleep with a smile on his face.

The next time he woke up, Yakko was in the kitchen cooking breakfast. Pancakes, bacon, sausage, and eggs. It smelled delicious. Dot was already awake, munching on a piece of bacon.

"Morning Wak, how'd you sleep?" She asked, taking a sip of juice.

"On my back." Yakko handed him a plate with a mountain of food on it.

"Good answer. Although I was reading an article about sleeping positions, and sleeping on your back actually isn't good for breathing. You're better off sleeping on your left side to keep your airways open and your heart pumping." Yakko stated, sitting between them with a mug of coffee.

"When did you become middle aged?" Dot teased. Wakko snickered behind his hand as Yakko raised an eyebrow.

"What? The way you sleep can affect a lot more than you'd think. It's important," His phone began ringing before Wakko or Dot could reply. "Finish eating, I'll be right back." The teen stood up and answered the call as he left the kitchen.

The two younger Warners shared an equal look of, "What was that about?"

A few minutes later, Yakko walked back into the room. "That was Scratchy. Something about, the execs are changing some stuff with our paperwork. I'm gonna be getting a phone call later today about it, but it's nothing you two need to be worrying about." He explained evenly. 

They shrugged in reply. Any other time Yakko told them not to worry, they'd do the opposite, but this time there was no tense edge in his tone, so he must be genuine about it being no big deal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is a bit slow, but that was done intentionally. Sorta the calm before the storm, so to speak. And obviously, had to squeeze in a bit of paternal Yakko.


	3. Stranger Danger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun times are over.

After they finished eating and got ready for the day, Yakko offered "It's a nice day out, and we don't have filming today. What do you say we go to the park?"

Wakko and Dot nodded enthusiastically. The park a few blocks from the studio was very nice, with well maintained equipment, comfortable benches, a manmade pond with fish, and plenty of trees and flowers scattered around. It was nice, and the two younger Warners loved whenever they'd get a chance to go.

Once there, the two youngest Warners made a beeline for the slides. Yakko waited at the base of them, watching his siblings with a content smile. When Dot was finished with the slides, she climbed onto the monkey bars, flipping from one to the other quickly.

Yakko stayed nearby to keep an eye on her. "Yakko, watch this!" Dot hooked her legs into a bar, attempting to flip to the farthest bar. Unfortunately she didn't move far enough to reach, and began to fall. The eldest Warner stepped forward quickly, holding his arms out and catching her right before she hit the ground.

"Maybe don't do that again. Okay? Last thing we need is a broken bone." Dot nodded.

"Deal. Will you push me on the swings?" She asked, jumping up and down. 

Yakko chuckled, rolling his eyes playfully. "I guess." Wakko was already at the swings, moving back and forth. Yakko stood in the middle behind them, alternating between pushing Wakko and Dot.

This was his favorite thing about going to the park. Seeing his siblings just be happy, goofy kids made him happy. Their joy was infectious, making him forget his stress and worries, if just for a moment.

His phone started ringing at the exact same moment the jingling of an ice cream truck could be heard coming towards the park. Wakko and Dot leaped from the swings.

"Can we go get some ice cream?!" They pleaded as he answered his phone.

Yakko placed his hand over the microphone to reply, "Yes, but stay where I can see you. And remember the stranger rule."

"Got it. No talking to them, and if they try to take us somewhere, hit 'em with a mallet and yell for you." With that, the two rushed towards the truck.

Dot ordered a double scoop of chocolate while Wakko ordered a quadruple, vanilla and chocolate. The ice cream man smiled and said, "That'll be 15 dollars, kiddos."

The two patted down their pockets, sharing a look. No money. They spared a glance at Yakko. He was pacing around the bench, fully immersed in his conversation.

Just as Dot opened her mouth to tell the man they had no money, another voice spoke up from behind them. "I'll handle this, you two." A white gloved hand gave the money to the ice cream man.

The hand belonged to a toon man wearing a long tan overcoat, blue jeans, a flannel shirt, and a beanie. The most striking thing about him however, was that he looked just like them. Black fur, white face, red nose, and a tail. He was like an older, slightly chubbier version of Yakko. The fur around his face was showing a bit of grey, and there were creases in his forehead.

"Thank you." Dot replied once they got their ice cream.

"Don't mention it, little cutie." He replied. Wakko tilted his head curiously. Something about this didn't feel right, but he couldn't tell what. So far all the man had done was buy them ice cream when they didn't have money.

"Our brother said we shouldn't talk to strangers." Wakko blurted. The man merely chuckled.

"That you shouldn't, good advice. But I'm not a stranger, I've known you kids since you were tinier than you are now. Dot, you used to be about the size of a baby watermelon. And Wakko wasn't much bigger. My name's Darren."

"How do you know our names?" Dot asked. The two raised their eyebrows, feeling a mix of confusion and curiosity. Wakko subconsciously moved closer to Dot, a strange pit forming in his stomach.

"Well, family always knows these things. And I'm actually-"

"Excuse me? Get away from them!" Yakko stormed over with a very angry expression. This confused the youngest Warners more.

"Yakko, you've gotten bigger. Been a while since I've seen you kids."

This seemed to enrage the teen further. He pulled Wakko and Dot behind himself protectively. "Can it, Darren. You leave us alone, I mean it."

"Ouch. You're really wounding your old man here, son." Dot and Wakko's eyes went wide, dropping the ice cream.

"I am NOT your son. And I'm warning you, stay the hell away from my kids."

Darren began to laugh. "Your kids? You are a kid yourself. How old are you now, twelve?"

Yakko scooped up Dot and Wakko in his arms, holding them tightly. "Stay away!"

Darren held up his hands in a placating gesture. "If you insist. But I can't stay away forever. Kids need a father." Yakko turned around quickly and rushed away from the park, not stopping until they reached the tower.

Once inside, he carried Dot and Wakko to the couch and sat down while still holding onto them. "Was he telling the truth?" Dot asked.

Yakko nodded numbly. "... Yes. And I want you to stay away from him. He tries to come near you again, you find me. Understand?"

"Why?" Wakko asked, still very much confused.

"He isn't a very nice man." The vague statement seemed to be enough for Dot, but Wakko still felt unsure. Warren hadn't done or said anything that sounded threatening, and yet he had never seen Yakko so angry. The entire situation made no sense.

A thought occurred to the middle Warner. "We dropped our ice cream..." Wakko mumbled. Yakko cracked a smile, patting his head.

"I'll buy you some later. Scratchy's taking us grocery shopping." After a few minutes of silence, Dot and Wakko fell asleep against him. Yakko however, stayed alert.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooo dadoo! What do you think about Darren so far? Ain't he just the sweetest? You'll have a chance to know him a bit better in a little while. Until then, drop a kudos, leave a comment, and strap in.


	4. Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Darren isn't here right now, but he'll be back.

At the store with Scratchy, Yakko was pushing Wakko and Dot in a ride along shopping cart, not wanting either of them out of his sight. As he shopped, Wakko and Dot talked quietly amongst themselves.

"I don't get why he's being so weird about this." Wakko mumbled.

"I don't know. But clearly he has some reason for it. And where had Darren been all this time?" Dot replied.

"Maybe he was looking for us. I wanna know why Yakko never told us about our dad. And why does he think he's dangerous? What is he hiding? And how did we end up here?" Dot nodded slowly in response.

"And if we have a dad, where's our mom? Why are we here instead of with them? Nothing about this adds up. But, I'm standing by what Yakko says. He says Warren's bad, then I believe him." She stated firmly.

"Even though he lied? Our whole lives. He never once said anything about us having parents. That doesn't bother you?" They both looked over at Yakko tossing things into the cart casually.

"Of course it does. But he's still our big brother, and he's always looking out for us." Dot crossed her arms with a trace of annoyance on her face.

"So you don't want to at least hear the other side of this? There's always three sides in a story." At the question, Dot gave him a very stern glare.

"No!" She snapped louder than she intended, catching Yakko's attention.

"What are you two arguing about?" He asked curiously.

Dot hesitated before replying, "He just asked me if I wanted to eat spaghetti with pineapple and mayonnaise on it." 

Yakko winced. "Wakko, stop grossing out Dot. Please." He scolded before going back to shopping.

Wakko gave Dot a strange look, so she gave him a warning. "If you go looking for him, then I will tell Yakko. I mean it. It's for your own good."

"Understood." He nodded, trying to think of a way to get around them. Yakko always seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, and he was a very light sleeper to boot. And Dot was sneaky when she needed to be. He had to find a way to get her on his side. At least so he could find out the truth.

A thought occurred to him that could help him with getting to the bottom of things. If Yakko wouldn't talk, then maybe Scratchy could give him something to work with. Yakko told the doctor pretty much everything, and Scratchy had been at Warner Studios for several decades. He had to know something about where they came from.

His chance to talk alone with the p-sychiatrist came the next day. He talked about everything that had taken place, including Yakko's unwillingness to talk about Darren. And he asked about where the place they came from.

Only to be met with, "No. I cannot tell you or Dot anything about it, because it isn't my place to tell. I'm sorry Yakko won't talk about it, but I cannot help you there."

"Why?! Don't we deserve the truth?" Wakko cried. Scratchy sighed.

"I am sorry, Wakko. But even I don't know ze full story. I only know vat Yakko has told me, und of zat, I am not able to share with you."

"Then what can you tell me?!" Wakko was beginning to feel very agitated at the doctor and Yakko. He was ten years old, why were they treating him like an infant?

The p-sychiatrist adjusted his glasses with another sigh. "You should listen to your brother. He only wants ze best for ze two of you, und he'll tell you ze truth when you are older."

The statement only enraged the middle Warner further. "Why is it up to Yakko to decide? He isn't my dad!" Wakko snapped, storming out of the room. He ignored Scratchy's attempts to call him back as he fled the building.

Wakko looked up at the water tower angrily. Dot may be perfectly content with having Yakko not telling them anything, but he wasn't. The toon stood under the tower for a few moments before turning and walking away. 

Sure, Yakko was going to be very angry when he found out that Wakko had left in the middle of a session with Scratchy, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. He was mad too. At Dot for not backing him up, Scratchy for not telling him anything, but mostly he was mad at Yakko for lying and then not explaining anything. Like Wakko was just supposed to smile and go with it.

Well, if Yakko wouldn't talk, he'd find out things on his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wakko is a bit of an angry boy, a lot of which is justified. And Yakko is trying his best, but he's still just a kid himself. Then you have Dot, who's just kinda in the middle.
> 
> But what do you think? Where could Wakko possibly be going? Leave a comment, drop a kudos, and have a lovely day.


	5. A Little Secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My heart is breaking for Wakko and Yakko here. So much hurt with both sides.

He casually walked past Ralph's booth and off the lot. But where to go from there, he didn't know. It wasn't like Darren was just gonna be hanging around Burbank after Yakko had told him off, right? A few blocks away from the movie lot, a car pulled up at the curb next to him and honked.

"You okay, kid?" Wakko froze in surprise. No. Way.

Darren gave him a concerned smile, and the strange feeling came back. "What are you doing here?" Wakko asked with a bewildered expression.

"I was just in the area. Hop in, I'll get you something to eat." Darren leaned over and opened the passenger door.

This wasn't right. This was bad. Yakko had always told him not to get into a stranger's car. But this man wasn't a stranger, it was his dad. And he didn't know him because of Yakko. With that thought firmly in his mind, Wakko hopped in.

Darren drove him to a little diner some ways up from the studio. "So, how old are you now, kid?" He asked once they sat at a booth in the corner.

"I'm ten." Wakko replied slowly, feeling self conscious.

"Ten? Growing up quick, aren't you? Soon you'll be as big as I am." Darren chuckled, taking a sip of his cola.

"... Yakko doesn't want me to talk to you." Wakko mumbled. Darren merely waved him off with a slight scoff.

"Yakko? Don't you worry about him. That boy is just sore because of mistakes I've made in the past. He'll come around. For now, we'll just keep this our little secret."

That made sense to Wakko, although it didn't ease his weird feeling. He ate a fry before saying "Got it. Our little secret."

"Smart boy. You're pretty mature for your age." Darren stated with a smile.

"Thanks." Wakko preened at the compliment happily. At least someone wasn't treating him like an infant.

He told Darren about his life on the movie lot, and anything else he could think of to talk about. Wakko also spoke about Dot and Yakko, although Darren seemed to get an odd expression when his older brother's name came up.

And Darren listened to him, like he actually cared about the things he was saying instead of just brushing it off. Even silly things like accidentally getting his head stuck in a dog door on set. Darren held on to every word.

All too soon unfortunately, it was time to go. Darren wrote his phone number on a napkin, instructing him to call or text if he needed anything. Wakko was dropped off one block away from the studio so as to not arouse suspicion of where he had been. He tucked the napkin safely into his hammerspace.

Yakko was frantically rushing around the lot calling for Wakko. When Wakko walked onto the lot, Yakko pounced. "There you are! Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened?" Panic was evident in his tone. When Yakko cupped Wakko's face in his hands to look him over, the younger one could see the fear in his eyes.

"I'm fine." Wakko pushed him away, his anger from earlier now turning to guilt.

After taking a few breaths, Yakko set Wakko with a very stern look. "Where were you?"

"I was taking a walk." Wakko lied, attempting to keep his tone even.

Yakko kneeled down to his level, with a disapproving expression as he gripped Wakko by the shoulders firmly. "Never ever do that again. Do you understand? You almost gave me a heart attack," He scolded angrily. His grip on Wakko loosened as he relaxed. "But I'm glad you're safe." Yakko murmured, pulling Wakko into a hug.

Wakko hugged back tightly, trying to push down his guilt. He had scared Yakko half to death with his disappearing act. It was almost enough to make him want to toss out Darren's number and forget about everything. Almost. He'd just have to get out without anyone noticing next time. No more dramatic stunts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Isn't Darren just such a nice guy? Taking an interest in his kid and all that. Such a nice dad. Not that Yakko doesn't take an interest in Wakko, but let's be real here. Yakko is the big brother, not dad. It isn't the same.


	6. Junior Detectives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to do some detective work. Whatever will be found?

Throughout the week, he texted Darren while trying to find an opening to sneak out to either hang out with Darren, or do some investigating. Wakko was really beginning to like Darren. He was nice and happily shared details of their past.

Yakko didn't know what he was talking about, clearly he was either misremembering or just blowing things out of proportion. Wakko did wonder about what had him so angry at Darren, but he promised to tell him the next time they spoke in person. And that was enough for Wakko.

Darren was really helpful with him investigating them getting onto the lot as well, giving him an idea of where to look for clues. He brought up that the executive buildings would probably have all of their information on file.

Wakko got a chance to sneak out in the middle of the night the next day. Yakko had gone to bed early complaining of a headache. The timing couldn't have been more perfect. As Wakko opened the door however, Dot cleared her throat behind him.

"Where are you going, brother?" She asked in an accusatory tone, crossing her arms.

He didn't bother with a lie, since Dot was fairly skilled as a lie detector. "Executive buildings. I wanna look at our files."

"Well, lead the way Mr. Investigator." Dot stated sweetly.

Wakko was taken aback by her statement. "What?"

Dot placed a hand on her hip. "You heard me. I'm coming with."

"... I thought you were against this." Wakko said slowly. His sister shook her head.

"I said I was against you wanting to go looking for Darren behind Yakko's back. Didn't say anything about doing some detective work around here. Besides, you need me."

Wakko crossed his arms. "Really? How so?"

"Well, you're gonna need a cute shield when Yakko inevitably finds out you're sneaking around. He can't stay mad at me. Also, I switched out his coffee for decaf. You're welcome." Dot replied in a matter of fact tone with a cutesy smile.

"Well…." Wakko still wasn't sure, so she brought out the big guns.

"Lemme lay this out. If you don't take me with you, then I scream as loud as I can and wake up Yakko to tell him what you're doing. And he already has a headache, so he'll be extra grumpy." Extortion. He should have guessed. 

Wakko nodded, holding out a hand. "Deal." He replied.

"Glad we could come to an understanding," She shook his hand with a cheerful grin. "Now let's go."

They wandered through the executive buildings with flashlights, going through different files back in storage. The rooms were dusty, like they hadn't been cleaned in ages. Finally, Dot came across a box marked with their names.

"I found something!" She exclaimed. The box was a bit large, so both of them pulled it from the shelf and onto the floor.

Inside the box were a few videotapes, a tape recorder with a cassette, several files, and two ratty blankets, one pink and one blue.

The tapes had their names and were numbered. Deciding to go somewhere that didn't smell like a musty attic, the two of them took the box into an empty office. Wakko rolled in a tv and vcr from a storage closet so they could watch the videotapes.

Dot placed the tape recorder on the desk and pressed play. Scratchy's voice came through, giving the date and time before introducing himself.

_"Zis is doctor Otto von Scratchnsniff, psychiatrist. I am with ze three toon kidses that were discovered on ze Warner Brothers lot earlier today. Two boys, und one girl. Ze eldest boy iz six or seven, und his siblings appear to be two und three."_

_"I'm seven." The voice was younger, but it was definitely Yakko._

_"Seven, right. Und could you please tell me your names?"_

_"I'm Yakko, this is my brother Wakko, and our baby sister Dot."_

_"Where did you come from?"_

_"Home. But it's gone now, so we came here." Yakko sounded sad._

The tape cut off after that. Wakko grabbed one of the vhs tapes and put it in the vcr to play it. Both of them watched the screen intently.

_There was static for a moment, and then the screen showed the three of them in Scratchy's office. Yakko's clothes were torn and dirty with some splotches of soot on his face and parts of his clothing. Wakko and Dot were fairly clean, without a trace of soot on them. Yakko was holding Wakko and Dot on his lap, clutching them as though he were afraid that they'd disappear._

_"State your names for ze camera, please." Scratchy's voice came from off camera._

_Yakko looked up, as if just noticing the camera. "Yakko, Wakko, and Dot. I told you."_

_"I know, but who are you? Full names please."_

_Yakko looked down at Wakko and Dot for a moment, thinking. "We're the Warner brothers-"_

_"And sissa!" Dot squeaked, kicking her little legs out and waving her arms. Yakko chuckled slightly._

_"And sister."_

_"How did you get here?" Scratchy asked, keeping his tone gentle._

_"I took us here. That guard took my bike and the wagon though. Can I get them back?" Wakko was chewing on his knuckles, looking around the room curiously._

_"I'm afraid I don't know. Zat decision iz up to ze CEO. But I'll see vat I can do." Yakko nodded slowly._

_"Okay. Are they gonna let us stay here?" Yakko asked, hopefully. Something off camera caught Wakko's attention, and he began squirming in Yakko's grip, making squeaky grunt noises._

_"I don't know zat either," Scratchy paused for a moment. "Does he not speak? I don't think I've heard him say one word since you came in."_

_A strange look came over Yakko's face and he shook his head. "No, he doesn't really talk. I'm teaching him though, honest."_

_"Why does he not speak?" Scratchy spoke carefully. Yakko shook his head again._

_"... I couldn't get to him fast enough." Yakko's voice shook, looking down at Wakko._

_Sensing that the boy wasn't gonna go any further into that, Scratchy moved on. "Where are your parents?" Yakko looked up._

_"Dead." He stated in an oddly calm tone._

_"... How did it happen?"_

_"The house burnt down." Yakko spoke the same way one would be talking about what they ate for lunch._

_"You must have been scared." Yakko froze for a moment, a flash of terror crossing his face._

_"No. I'm never scared." He declared, putting his chin up._

_"Yakko, it's okay to be afraid. Everyone gets afraid sometimes." Scratchy stated._

_Yakko shook his head quickly. "Not me. I have to be brave to keep them safe."_

_"Safe from what?" Yakko looked directly at the camera with a serious expression._

_"Monsters." The screen went to static._

When Wakko turned off the screen, both of them shared the same stunned look. Wakko glanced at the screen as he took out the vhs tape, jumping at the sight of Yakko in the reflection. When he turned around, Yakko was leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed.

"Yakko! What uh… what a surprise!" Dot stammered. Yakko said nothing, fingers tapping in annoyance on his arms.

"We're s-" Wakko started, only to be cut off very quickly by Yakko holding up one hand.

"No. You're not sorry for this, so don't pretend you are. Wakko, I know you want to know about everything, but believe me when I say, you won't like the things you find."

"You told Scratchy that our parents are dead. That was a lie." Wakko crossed his arms.

Yakko shook his head slowly. "Not at the time. I thought Darren was dead."

"And our mother? Is she…." Dot started, looking up at him.

Yakko got a very sad look in his eyes. "Yes. Mom's dead. I know that for certain." His tone was shaky, but definite.

Wakko furrowed his eyebrows in confusion at how sure Yakko sounded. "How? You were wrong about our dad. Maybe-"

Tears began streaming down his face. "No! Because I watched her die!" Yakko cried, his entire body trembling.

Both Wakko and Dot froze. Yakko slid down the wall, bringing his knees to his chest. He looked more like a scared kid than an upset teenager.

"I couldn't save her… I was too late. So I got you two out and ran." Yakko whimpered.

The two of them approached him cautiously, sitting down beside him. "Yakko…" Dot started, unsure of how to begin to reassure him. What did people say in movies with these situations? "It wasn't your fault. You did the best you could."

Wakko nodded. "And you did get us out." Yakko finally looked up, wiping his eyes.

"I did... I'm sorry, I'm supposed to be the one reassuring you guys, not the other way around." He mumbled.

"We all break down every once in a while. It's okay." Dot stated, giving him a hug. Wakko joined in on his other side, and Yakko wrapped both arms around them.

"Thanks. We better get back to the tower. It's getting late." The eldest Warner stated tiredly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You'll eventually find out what happened with Wakko. I'll give you a heads up, it wasn't pretty. And Yakko blames himself, which is part of why he throws himself into looking after them. Wakko in particular.
> 
> But we're not talking about that. We're talking about the tapes and the confession that Yakko actually watched their mom die. That's traumatic, especially considering he was only 7. Poor thing.


	7. Fractures

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things start going farther downhill from here. I just wanna give Wakko a hug, Yakko too. And why not Dot?

_Wakko was walking around the familiar house, but it was different. The lights were dim, and there was no one around. At the end of the hall was a door opened slightly with a light on. He began walking towards it curiously when a hand pulled him back._

_"C'mon, we have to hide." Yakko whispered, holding Dot in his free arm. A clawed hand appeared around the door as Yakko pulled them away._

_He took Wakko and Dot into a closet, hiding them behind some coats. Outside the door was the sound of heavy footsteps as the monster searched for them. Yakko pressed himself against the wall, covering his mouth to muffle his breathing._

_Wakko found Dot's hand in the darkness, holding on tight. The footsteps got closer, and Yakko shuffled closer to them defensively._

_Everything went quiet for a few moments, and then the footsteps began to move away from the door. Yakko uncovered his mouth and glanced back at Wakko and Dot. He put a finger to his lips and stood up slowly._

_"I think he's g-" Yakko was cut off by the door being violently opened and the monster grabbing Yakko and pulling him out, slamming the door shut behind him._

_"No!" Dot screamed. They ran up to the door, tugging on the handle and banging on it desperately. Wakko still couldn't find his voice to scream or say anything._

_He began clawing at the door wildly as the sounds of Yakko screaming in agony could be heard on the other side of the door. It was like the monster was tearing him apart. Beside him, Dot was screaming in terrified pain._

_And then, all was quiet. The door slowly eased open, and Wakko stepped out. Everything in the house was burning. Directly in front of him was a bloodstained sheet with a figure underneath._

_Wakko kneeled down beside it, pulling the sheet away to reveal… nothing. A hand grabbed his arm and he looked up to see Yakko covered in blood and soot, crying._

_"I'm sorry, I couldn't save you. It's all my fault." The monster appeared behind Yakko, its face contorted into a malicious grin._

_Wakko tried to warn him about the monster, to tell him to run, but it was like his mouth was glued shut. He could only watch in horror as the monster rammed his claws straight through Yakko's chest._

Wakko woke up screaming for Yakko, tears streaming down his face. In seconds, Yakko was right in front of him, cupping Wakko's face in his hands.

"Hey sib, you're okay now. Shh, it was just a nightmare. It wasn't real." Yakko crooned, wiping away the tears with his thumbs.

Wakko held onto Yakko's shirt tightly. "You were dead… And there was so much blood..." He whimpered, shaking from the tears.

"Well, I'm alive right now, last I checked anyways," Yakko quipped, trying to lighten the mood. "It was all just a nightmare."

"You got stabbed in the chest…" Wakko mumbled. In response, Yakko pulled Wakko's head against his chest, right above his heart.

"Listen…" Wakko closed his eyes, listening to the sound of his brother's heartbeat. "Hear that? I'm not going anywhere if I have anything to say about it."

Dot crawled down beside them, rubbing her eyes. "What's going on?"

"I'm having Wakko check my heart rate, because I don't have a stethoscope on hand to check myself." Yakko replied with a joking grin.

"And why are you checking your heart rate at… two am?" Dot asked, checking her phone for the time.

"You can never be too careful with the health of your heart, dear sister." Yakko winked at Wakko while Dot rolled her eyes.

"Whatever you say Mr. I Drink Coffee Like It's Water." She teased with a yawn.

Yakko laid down. "Well, now that we have that settled, I think we should get back to sleep. What do you guys think?"

Dot curled up into Yakko's side and was out in seconds. Wakko rested at his other side, falling back asleep not soon after. After fighting it for a few more hours, Yakko finally fell asleep as well.

* * *

"... Where have you been all this time?" Wakko asked Darren as he wiped ketchup off his face with a napkin. They were back at the same diner after Wakko talked Yakko into letting him hang out with 'Skippy Squirrel' for the day. It wasn't easy, as his older brother was still hesitant, but he managed it.

"Looking for you kids, actually. Wasn't easy, 'specially with that contract you got with Warner studios. But, I'm in contact with a social worker, so I can get you little ones back." Something about the latter statement rubbed Wakko the wrong way.

"... And Yakko, right?" He tensed up slightly, a chill rolling up his spine.

"And Yakko. Can't forget him…" Darren replied with a trace of contempt in his tone.

"Why doesn't he like you, honestly?"

"I've told you before, I made mistakes in the past. But I'm working on moving past them." There was a slight warning edge in his tone. Darren gripped his glass a bit tighter.

"What did you do that was so bad?" Wakko asked, oblivious to Darren's shift in mood.

"I said drop it!" The glass shattered in Darren's hand and Wakko jumped in shock. "You see what you made me do?"

"I… I'm sorry. Please don't be mad." Wakko stammered. 

"Everything okay?" A waitress walked up with some napkins. Darren gave her a grin, a stark contrast to how he had been moments before.

"It's fine, I just don't know my own strength sometimes. Just add it to my bill."

The ride back to the tower was eerily silent. Wakko looked out the window, not understanding what had just happened. Darren parked a little ways up from the studio.

"Listen kid, I'm sorry I startled you back there. But you shouldn't have pushed me like that." He stated with a stern expression.

Wakko nodded slowly. Warren was right. He had pushed him and made his dad angry. "I'm sorry." Wakko mumbled.

Darren picked up Wakko's hat, turning it around. "It's alright. I'll see you later, kid."

"Bye… dad." Wakko replied, getting out of the car and walking the rest of the way to the studio.

When he arrived at the tower, Wakko immediately crawled into bed. His stomach felt like it was full of sand.

Yakko looked up from watching tv the instant Wakko walked in, following him. "You okay, sib?"

"I'm fine." He mumbled.

"Are you sure?" Yakko asked, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"I feel sick…" Yakko put his hand on Wakko's forehead.

"Well, you're not warm. How about I go make you some soup?" He offered.

"Okay…" Yakko patted Wakko on the head and went to the kitchen. Dot was grabbing a snack from the fridge.

She immediately looked to Yakko when he walked in, asking "What's going on with Wakko?"

"He said he's feeling sick." The eldest Warner popped a couple cans of soup into a pot on the stove, heating it up while he got out some ginger ale from a cabinet.

Dot merely nodded in understanding. Any time the two of them got sick or felt under the weather, Yakko always went into mother hen mode. Sometimes to the detriment of his own health.

Yakko popped a frozen pizza into the oven to cook while he fixed up a bowl of soup for Wakko. He placed the bowl with the spoon, some saltines, and a cup of ginger ale onto a tray to carry it to Wakko. "Voila! I present to you our finest chicken noodle soup, paired with the saltines, and our dryest ginger ale. Perfect for knocking out any tummy trouble. Bon appetit." His terrible french accent managed to get a small smile on Wakko's face as he sat up.

"Thanks." He grabbed the spoon and started eating.

"Don't mention it. It's what I'm here for, you know that. I used to change your smelly diapers, I can definitely handle a little stomach ache."

Wakko paused, spoon still at his mouth. Yakko had never mentioned anything like that before, ever. When Yakko noticed his younger brother's expression, he shrugged.

"I changed Dot's diapers too. And out of the two of you, hers were the worst. But she was so cute, I couldn't get upset."

At some point while Yakko was talking, Dot entered the room. "You changed our diapers?" She asked.

"And feed, burp, and bathe you. Also, I'd sing you to sleep. I can remember one of my favorite memories was seeing Wakko smile for the first time. I was making funny faces at you while you were in your little bassinet, and then you just started smiling at me."

"... Why are you telling us this?" Wakko asked in confusion.

The eldest Warner sighed. "Because I know you're still upset, and you want some answers. I won't talk about Darren or how we got here yet, but I can at least tell you two some of the good from when you were little."

The two youngest Warners looked as though they wanted to ask more, but we're interrupted by a loud beeping coming from the kitchen. Yakko's eyes went wide in panic. "Pizza!" And off he went, leaving his two siblings alone.

"How was it with Skippy?" Dot asked, swiping a saltine from the tray.

"What?" Wakko felt confused for a moment before remembering his lie. "Oh! It was fine. Played for a bit, usual stuff."

"Uh huh… What kind of stuff?" Uh oh, he recognized that tone.

"You know, some board games, and we were running around outside his tree." Wakko struggled to keep his tone casual.

"You know, I bet Yakko would like to know exactly what you've been up to all day." Dot crossed her arms.

Yakko walked back into the room. "Good news, pizza is fine. I think the smoke detector just needed new batteries. What have you two been talking about?"

"Wakko just wanted to tell you about his day." Dot stated sweetly.

"Okay…? How was it with Skippy?" Yakko asked, looking a bit confused.

Wakko opened his mouth, and immediately threw up all over himself and part of the bed. Dot scrambled away. "Eww!"

"Dot, go to the living room for right now," Yakko said before turning to Wakko. "C'mere bud, let's get you all cleaned up." He moved the tray away and picked him up bridal style to carry him to the bathroom.

Yakko put him down to run a warm bath. "Just leave your sweatshirt on the floor, I'll get it when I clean your sheets." He took off Wakko's hat and pressed a kiss to his head before turning off the water and leaving the room.

While Wakko was cleaning himself off, Yakko busied himself with making a little 'sick nest' on the couch for Wakko. Some comfy pillows, a soft blanket, a heating pad, and a small stack of Wakko's favorite comic books.

Dot wanted to tell him that Wakko hadn't really been with Skippy. She had a feeling that she knew exactly where he had been. But with Yakko in full hen mode, what would be the point? He'd never listen. No, she'd have to wait until Wakko wasn't feeling pukey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Going from bad to worse. Poor Wakko, looking through rose tinted lenses. Poor Yakko, driving himself crazy with worry that he can't see Wakko lying to him. And poor Dot, caught in the middle of everything, wanting answers, but still staying loyal to Yakko.
> 
> And it's only gonna be worse from here. The next two chapters in particular, I was crying while writing them. And the one that comes after that, but we're get to that later.


	8. The Reveal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The truth comes out....

".... What was my mom like?" Wakko asked, taking a bite of ice cream. It had been a few days since he had gotten sick. Yakko had asked him about a dozen times how he was feeling before sending him off to 'Skippy.'

"Oh, she was wonderful. Most beautiful woman I've ever met, and a fantastic cook. She'd give any of those Michelin star tightwads a run for their money."

Wakko smiled, then thought back to what Yakko had told him. "What about as a mom?"

"She wasn't perfect, but she still loved you kids more than life itself."

"Yakko told me he took care of me and Dot a lot when we were babies." He stated carefully.

"That's true. Your mom, she struggled a bit with you kids sometimes. And I was constantly working to keep food on the table, so I couldn't always be there to help. But we did our best."

Wakko nodded slowly. He supposed that made a lot of sense, and Yakko spoke of those memories fondly. "Were we difficult babies?"

"Dot was a bit fussy at times, but you were a quiet one." His stomach began to feel like it was twisting into knots at the statement.

"What do you mean?" Darren shrugged casually.

"You were just really quiet. Didn't talk, like at all. You'd point or grunt to communicate. Your mom was actually worried that you had something wrong with you."

He sat up a bit straighter, now very curious. "When did I start talking?"

Darren shook his head. "Must have been sometime after you went to live at the studio, because I had never even heard you say a single word. Or even random babbling. Quiet as a church mouse."

In response, he slumped back in the chair. That would be yet another thing to ask about when he got back. He just hoped that it wouldn't be a strange thing to ask about.

"Don't feel too bad kid. At least you're talking now, right?"

"I guess you're right. I learned…" Wakko paused for a moment before blurting, "How did mom die?"

Darren tensed up. "That isn't something you need to worry yourself with. It was an accident, now finish eating." Something in Darren's tone sent a chill up his spine. 

Not wanting to make his dad angry again, he obeyed. Once he was finished eating, Darren took him home.

Right before he got out, Darren stopped him. "You know, you could come stay with me for a bit. If you ever wanted to get away for a while. I know Yakko's probably not always easy to get along with. Feels a bit controlling to me, don't you think?"

"I'll think about it." He replied, walking back to the tower. As he walked, he pondered what Darren had said.

As he climbed the ladder, the air began to feel very tense. Inside, everything was quiet, without even noise from the tv. The silence was overwhelming.

Slowly, he opened the door and walked inside. Yakko was sitting on the couch beside Dot with his arms crossed and a very stern expression on his face. When he met Dot's eye, she looked slightly guilty.

"Sit, brother." Yakko's voice was soft, but with a strong undertone of anger.

"I'm actually a bit tired, so-" Wakko started to stammer, but was very quickly interrupted.

"Sit down. Now. You and I need to have a little chat." He gave a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Okay…" Wakko quickly took a seat on the other side of him.

"Let me see your phone." He held out a hand.

"... What? Why?"

"Give me your phone, right now." Yakko commanded through clenched teeth.

He grabbed it from his pocket shakily. His older brother snatched it from his hand and started scrolling. As he scrolled, his expression got angrier. When he finished, he handed the phone back and closed his eyes.

Yakko took several deep breaths before saying, "Dot, you're free to go. Thank you."

She all but fled to the bedroom, feeling slightly guilty about what she had done. Wakko glared at her retreating form, feeling betrayed.

"Don't get mad at her. She did the right thing. I told you not to go after him, and you deliberately disobeyed me. I am beyond disappointed in you."

"But why? You say he's bad, but why? He's been nothing but nice to me so far. And he's giving me more information about my past than you have." His guilt and fear were quickly giving way to irritation. Nothing had happened, and Darren was a nice guy. He only got mad when Wakko made him mad.

"I'm trying to protect you!" 

"No, you're trying to control me!" Wakko jumped to his feet.

Yakko raised an eyebrow, his anger flicking to confusion for a moment. "What are you talking about? Is that what he's been telling you?!"

"He's told me nothing but the truth! And he's nice! You're just trying to keep me away from him because you're probably just mad at something dumb he did years ago!" Wakko exclaimed, pointing angrily at his older brother.

"You have no idea what you're talking about. Everything that I have ever done, I've done for the two of you." Yakko growled.

"I didn't ask you to! You're not my dad! You're trying to take away my dad, again! Why? I can't think of any reason why you wouldn't want him around. And even if it was bad, he's changed!"

"That bastard will never change. And you can't even understand the kind of person he is, because you haven't seen how he truly is. He'll snap, and then you're gonna get yourself really hurt!" Yakko stood up as well with a mixed expression of hurt and rage.

"You don't know that! He promised-"

"I said no, Wakko! You stay away from him, I mean it." Wakko's eyes started tearing up.

"You're being mean!" He cried, stomping his foot like a toddler.

Yakko crossed his arms. "I don't care! I am perfectly fine with being the bad guy in your eyes if it means you're safe. Hell, you could tell me you hate me. It doesn't matter, because the one thing I do care about is you two."

"No you don't! If you did, you'd let me see my dad." Wakko whimpered as tears ran down his face.

"I know this hurts, and I'm sorry. But the discussion is over." Yakko replied gently, his rage dissipating at the sight of his younger brother crying.

"Just leave me alone…" Wakko walked into the kitchen and sat on the floor against the fridge.

Yakko sat back on the couch and buried his face into his hands. He felt bad for snapping at Wakko, but at the same time Wakko should have listened. Did his little brother not trust him?

Wakko brought his knees up to his chest. He still had guilt for lying, but Yakko had lied too. And he was trying to keep Darren away. For reasons he refused to explain. Well, he was tired of it. Yakko wasn't his dad, so he couldn't tell him what to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was full on sobbing during this, because of how much hurt there is. And if Wakko knew what Yakko knows, he wouldn't be so keen on leaving. But Yakko still won't say because he doesn't want to drag up bad memories. Especially one certain incident that will be shown very soon. Such a poor innocent little baby boy....
> 
> Just as a heads up, I was still crying while writing the next chapter, because these two were written together. And the one that comes after, which... We'll get to that.


	9. Letting Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a full blown sobfest. Wakko gets what he wants. Nuff said.

That evening, while Yakko was in the shower, Wakko sent a message to Darren. After all, he had offered to let him stay. Hopefully even if it was a little late, he'd still take him in. A few minutes later, he had an answer. Darren would come get him in a little bit.

So, Wakko went and started packing a bag. "Where are you going?" Dot asked, looking concerned.

"Why should I tell you? Traitor." He snapped with a glare. She flinched as though he had just slapped her.

"I wasn't trying to get you in trouble. I'm just worried about you. We both are. Yakko-"

"Yakko lied to both of us. Our entire lives. He never told us we had parents, one of which is still alive and wants to see us. But because Yakko doesn't like him, he's keeping us away. And he won't say why." He zipped up the backpack and slung it over his shoulder.

"And you don't think he maybe had his reasons? We don't know what Darren was like then, Yakko does." Dot retorted, putting a hand on her hip.

"And Yakko isn't giving him a fair chance now. Whatever Yakko remembers of him, he's changed. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to stay with my dad. My REAL dad." Wakko snapped, walking out of the room.

"So that's it then. You're just leaving us?" She muttered, narrowing her eyes.

"You are free to come with me if you'd like. I'm sure he wouldn't mind seeing you."

"No. Because unlike you, I trust Yakko's judgement."

Wakko shrugged, adjusting his grip on the backpack. "Suit yourself. I'm leaving." He started for the door, but froze when he heard Yakko's voice.

Yakko was just walking out of the bathroom in his robe and pajamas. "If you walk out that door, I want you to know that you'll always have a place here." His tone was despondent and he had tears welling up in his eyes.

"You're seriously gonna just let him go like this?!" Dot exclaimed in shock.

"If he really wants to go, I can't stop him. I'm not his dad," He turned back to Wakko. "You call me if you need me, and I'll be there. I don't care if it's one in the morning, I'll be there." Yakko lifted Wakko's hat to press a kiss to his head and kneeled down to pull him into a tight hug. Wakko's eyes began welling up with tears.

Dot joined the hug, starting to cry as well. "Wakko, don't do this."

When they pulled away, Yakko patted him on the head. "I'll miss you, Wak. Stay safe, okay? I love you."

"I'll miss you too, both of you," Darren sent him a text letting him know that he had arrived. "Well, I guess I better go."

Yakko nodded sadly. "If you wanna come back, just let me know. Door is always open."

Wakko gave him one more hug before walking out the door, not looking back. If he looked back, he would have probably changed his mind. And he didn't want to change his mind. 

So he didn't see Yakko pulling his knees to his chest, placing his head on them and sobbing. Or Dot burying her face into his neck while crying.

* * *

Darren raised an eyebrow when Wakko got in. "You been crying, kid?"

"Yakko let me go…" He mumbled. Darren whistled in surprise as he pulled away from the curb.

"Was not expecting that. I'm speechless. Well, you and I can have some fun now." Darren replied enthusiastically.

In all honesty, Wakko wasn't feeling up to any games. It felt so strange, he was getting exactly what he wanted. He was with his dad. So why did he feel so awful?

"I guess…" His stomach was twisting into knots and his chest felt like his heart had been ripped out and smashed into bits. The rest of the way, Wakko just stared out the window quietly.

Darren drove to a cheap looking motel. The parking lot was full of potholes and cracks, there were weeds growing everywhere, several windows were broken, every window had bars on them, a letter on the reception office was loose, and a few doors had bullet holes in them. In short, it looked awful.

"Here we are. It ain't pretty to look at, I know. But, I'm working on getting a permanent place for us. Promise." Darren stated.

"Okay…" Wakko mumbled tiredly. He grabbed his backpack and got out to follow Darren into the motel room.

Inside wasn't much better than the outside. There was a small tv on a stand that was falling apart, the bed was on concrete blocks, there was a loveseat by the tv that had been scratched up, there was some graffiti on the walls, the carpet was shredded in places, and the whole place smelled funny. It also had a kitchenette with chipped and cracked tiling on the counter, a cabinet door that had a broken hinge, and the outside of the fridge was dirty. And he hadn't even been in the bathroom yet.

"Mi casa is your casa, kid. Make yourself at home." Darren stated, going to the kitchenette and grabbing a beer from the fridge.

Wakko placed his bag on the floor and sat down on the loveseat. It was lumpy and uncomfortable. He pulled out his phone, wanting to talk to Yakko. Before he could though, Darren grabbed the phone from him. "Hey!"

"I got a few rules here. No phone is one, I don't want you staring at that screen constantly. Two, you want something from the kitchen, you ask. Three, don't go anywhere without my say so. Four, don't disturb me when I'm watching tv. And five, don't touch any of my things without asking."

That was a lot of rules, and not all of them felt fair, but Wakko nodded. Apparently, the nod wasn't enough, because Darren frowned.

"You mute or something? I need words." He snapped.

"Got it." Wakko mumbled. This was not how he was expecting things to be with his dad.

"One more thing. I ask you a question, you address me as sir. And I don't want any of this quiet shit. You know how to talk now, do it. Understand?"

"Yes sir." He replied shakily. Darren tossed him a blanket and pillow.

"Good. Now go to bed. Night kid." Darren's tone was back to nice. He placed Wakko's phone in the chipped up bedside table.

Wakko laid down, trying to get comfortable. He wondered what Yakko and Dot were doing. After a bit, he managed to fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, I know exactly what you're thinking, but bear with me. Yakko knew Wakko was gonna be leaving one way or another. If he left things the way they were, Wakko would have just gone off on his own without seeing his support system. This way, he keeps them on the same page as to where he stands with Wakko.
> 
> Buuut, that doesn't mean he's happy about it. Quite the contrary. Yakko is scared shitless about what he's just done.


	10. The Real Monster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the backstory of why Wakko never spoke. It's very horrific. And as an added little warning in case you're thinking about avoiding the heartache. Yakko was close to 5 years old, Wakko was about 7 months old.

_He was all alone in the house, wandering around. The monster started growling nearby, its footsteps coming towards him. Yakko was nowhere to be found this time as he ran from the monster._

_Wakko ducked into a random room and shut the door. Terrified whimpers were the only sound he could make. Where was Yakko? He wanted Yakko. Several sharp knocks came on the door._

_"Open this door. Open the door!" The monster growled._

_He backed away, desperately looking for somewhere to hide. There was only a playpen in one corner by a recliner and an old tv. Just as the monster was knocking the door in, the scene shifted._

_Wakko was in the playpen with the recliner facing away from him. He was much smaller, wearing his soft blue footie pajamas with dinosaurs on them. His big brother was in front of him, making funny faces to get him to giggle. It was his favorite game. Their daddy was in the recliner watching his movies._

_He reached out with his chubby fists to smoosh his brother's cheeks, laughing happily. His laughter made his brother laugh._

_"I'm gonna go grab a snack now. Be right back, bud. Mwah." Yakko gave him a kiss on the head and left the room._

_Playing on tv was a shoot em up movie with loud booms. Outside, cars were driving back and forth. A loud boom came from outside, which startled him. Not understanding the loud noise, Wakko started crying from fear._

_"Wakko, stop crying," His daddy said. His grumpy tone only made him cry more. Finally, his daddy got up and walked to the playpen._

_Wakko held out his hand, wanting to be held. Instead, his daddy turned into the monster, who backhanded him in the face._

_"You stop that crying right now or I'll give you something to cry about!" He growled, grabbing him by the front of his pajamas and hitting him again._

_Not understanding why he was being hit, Wakko continued to cry. The monster wrapped a hand around his throat and started squeezing._

_"No! Stop! You'll kill him! YOU'RE GONNA KILL HIM!!!" Yakko screamed, desperately trying to pull the monster away from Wakko. The monster backhanded him to the floor._

_"He's gonna learn not to cry like a little bitch!" Wakko clawed at the monster's hand, struggling to breathe._

_In a desperate attempt to get the monster away from Wakko, Yakko kicked him as hard as he could between the legs. The monster dropped to his knees and Yakko scooped up his baby brother, rushing to the bathroom and locking the door._

_Wakko started coughing as he gasped for air. "Open this door you little shit! Open the door! Yakko!" The monster jiggled the door handle, knocking very aggressively._

_"No! Go away! Leave us alone!" Yakko cried, cradling Wakko against his chest._

_"You open this goddamn door right now before I break it down!"_

_Yakko placed Wakko on the floor, climbing into the toilet to pry the window open. It was heavy, but he managed to get it open just wide enough for them to fit through._

_"When I get my hands on you I'm gonna make you wish you were never born! Open the fucking door!"_

_"No!" Yakko screamed, climbing back down to grab Wakko. He carefully climbed back up the toilet._

_He busted a hole in the door. "Yakko, what are you doing?! Yakko! Don't you fucking leave!"_

_Yakko crawled out of the window, dropping to the ground. He landed with Wakko on top of him so he wouldn't get hurt. After standing up, he made a run for his bike._

_Unfortunately, the monster was there waiting. Wakko was ripped from his arms and tossed to the ground like a ragdoll. The monster would deal with him after. He grabbed Yakko by the front of his shirt, punching him in the face until he was bloody and bruised before tossing him next to Wakko._

_"Next time I tell you something, you fucking do it." The monster walked back inside. Leaving the two alone in the yard._

Wakko woke up sobbing and whimpering. That was a lot different than any of his other nightmares. He opened his mouth to call for Yakko before remembering that Yakko wasn't there. Wakko was with Darren.

Darren was asleep in bed, snoring loudly. There were several weird smelling bottles scattered around the bed. He didn't want to bother him, but at the same time, Wakko was upset. And Yakko always comforted him when he was upset.

He hopped up beside Darren, shaking him and saying. "Dad. Dad!"

"Wazzat? What?" Darren opened his eyes. "Christ kid, it's late. What do you want?" He snapped.

"... I had a nightmare." Wakko replied shyly, picking at his gloves.

"And? What do you want me to do about it?" His callous tone felt like a slap in the face.

"Yakko usually lets me stay with him if I'm scared." Wakko mumbled. Darren's eyes narrowed in irritation.

"Well I'm not Yakko," He spat. "Go the fuck back to sleep, kid. On the couch."

Wakko went back dejectedly. Yakko would have made him hot chocolate and reassure him that he was safe. He would have stayed with him through the night, chasing the monsters away. As he crawled back under the covers, Wakko felt extremely homesick. The young toon got no more sleep that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I warned you it wasn't gonna be pretty. Wakko is starting to see things as they are, not how he wants them to be.


	11. Pancakes and Punishment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This bit has a small reprieve from the abuse. But only slightly.

The next day, Darren was still asleep early into the afternoon. Wakko's stomach was growling. He glanced at the kitchenette, then over to Darren. Wakko dug through his bag, finding only a bit of change. Darren had said no eating his without asking, but maybe there was a vending machine outside he could use. Hopefully he had enough money for at least some chips.

Sparing one more look at his dad to make sure he was still asleep, Wakko left the motel room. Sure enough, there were two vending machines filled with drinks and snacks in the reception office. Unfortunately he didn't even have enough for the cheapest pack of crackers. Seriously, who pays seventy five cents for a six pack of peanut butter crackers?!

He pressed his face against the glass pitifully. His stomach growled noisily and he whimpered. "Kid, you either buy something or you leave. No loitering." The receptionist snapped. In response, he backed away from the machine.

"Oh shove it up your behind, Gary. He ain't harming anything," An elderly woman with a cane walked up to Wakko. "Now, what's the matter, honey?"

On cue, his stomach gurgled loudly. She gave him a kind smile and small chuckle.

"Well there's the problem. You need something to eat. Honey, where are your parents?"

"My mom died when I was little, and my dad's in a room here. He's asleep, but he said I have to ask before I eat." He stammered quickly.

She shook her head with an almost disgusted expression. "That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. You're a growing boy, you need to eat. And your daddy needs to get off his backside and feed you. You come right with me, honey. I'll get you something." The woman offered a hand to him and he looked at it hesitantly.

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers…"

She chuckled softly. "No, I suppose you're right. My name's Rita May. What's your name?"

"... Wakko. Warner." He mumbled.

"Nice to meet you Wakko. Now we're not strangers. Would you like to have something to eat?" This time, he took her hand.

Rita took him to her motel room, which actually looked to be in decent condition. The couch wasn't full of holes, there was no graffiti, the kitchenette was clean, and the floors were only a little bit scuffed up. He sat down on the couch while she busied herself making something to eat.

When she finished, a plate full of pancakes and eggs were placed on the table in front of him. It smelled delicious. "Eat all you want. I ate a little bit ago and I won't be able to finish this. I'm like a little bird." Rita joked, sitting down beside him.

While he ate, she told him stories about her life. Marrying young, becoming an actress, traveling the world, and the interesting people she met on the way.

"... I look up to see him covered head to toe in blackberry pie filling. So I holler at him and ask if he wants any whipped cream or vanilla ice cream." Rita laughed. Wakko joined in, although he didn't fully understand why the joke was so funny.

Someone began pounding on the door aggressively and he jumped. Rita stood up and grabbed her cane as she made her way to the door.

"Who is it?" Rita called through the door.

"I'm looking for my son. Reception said he was here." It was Darren.

She turned to Wakko. "He yours?" The young toon nodded slowly and she opened the door.

"He hasn't given you any trouble has he? You know how kids are." Darren's tone was casual, but he sent a stern look at Wakko.

"Not at all. Perfect little angel, this one. He was at the office trying to get breakfast from a vending machine, so I invited him here for some real food." Rita replied in an overly sweet tone, but with a very sharp look in Darren's direction.

"And I appreciate that, but I'll be getting out of your hair now. I'm sure you've got other things to be doing. C'mon, Wakko." He held out a hand for Wakko to take.

In response, he looked from Darren to Rita before taking his dad's hand almost reluctantly. Darren yanked him to his feet, dragging him to the door quickly without even giving him a chance to say goodbye or thank you to Rita.

The instant they got back to the room and Darren had shut the door, he laid into Wakko. "What was that? I specifically asked you not to leave the room."

"I-I'm sorry. But you were asleep, and I got so hungry. I didn't have money though, and-" A hand coming across his face interrupted him, nearly knocking him off balance. A second later the pain registered and he realized what had happened.

Darren had hit him. "Next time, don't leave the fucking room."

He put a hand to his stinging cheek, tears springing to his eyes. "You hit me…"

"You made me do it, this is your fault for not listening to me." Darren snapped.

"I'm sorry!" He cried, which earned him another slap. Tears were flowing down his face. "Please stop!"

"Quit that crying right now. You sound like a little baby." Darren hit him once again, harder.

"Please! Stop it!" His pleas only seemed to agitate Darren further. His dad grabbed him by the front of his sweatshirt roughly.

"You trying to tell me what to do or something? You don't call the shots here, kid. These are my rules, and this is how it's gonna work. You do as I say, or you regret it."

"Yakko was right. You're a bad man!" Wakko whimpered. At the mention of Yakko, Darren backhanded him to the floor.

"Don't you ever fucking say his name again. You're with me now, not him. Besides, not like he'd take you back when he let you go so easy. After all, Dot listens to him. What would he want with you?"

As Wakko sat up, he could taste copper. His lip was busted. "You're wrong. Yakko loves me." He glared defiantly at his dad.

Darren kneeled down to his level with a condescending expression. "If he really gave two shits about you, then you wouldn't be here right now. Now, go clean up your fucking face like a good boy," He stood back up. "I'm heading out for a bit. You even think about stepping outside…" The look he gave Wakko sent chills up his spine.

And then his expression flipped back to cheerful. "I'll be back later. Behave yourself." With that, his dad left. Locking the door behind him.

Wakko got to his feet shakily, cleaning the blood off his face in the bathroom. One eye was already beginning to swell closed. His entire face felt sore.

What if Darren had been right? What if Yakko didn't want him any more? After all, he had done nothing but argue and make things difficult when he had found out about Darren. No! Yakko had promised that he'd always be there. He wouldn't break a promise.

He laid down on the couch and began sobbing into his pillow, wishing he had listened. "Yakko…" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes people being nice can cause victims to get hurt.... You'll see how Yakko is faring next chapter.


	12. A Living Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pieces start coming together for Wakko. And Yakko is doing as well as can be expected.

Several days passed, and Wakko was walking on eggshells. The tiniest things could set Darren off, like the way he would sit on the couch to how he spoke to Darren. It was nerve wracking. And he'd even fly off the handle over the things other people did. Like when Rita would say hi to Wakko when Darren would let him actually play outside. Unfortunately, that meant his ire always ended up being directed at Wakko.

He was starting to get used to cleaning blood off of his face every day. When Darren would hit him, he wouldn't cry as much. Or say anything for that matter. His silence only made Darren angrier, and when he got angrier, he would hit harder.

Sleep offered no peace for Wakko either. He was trapped in a neverending nightmare, soon realizing that his dreams about the monster chasing him were actually pieces of old memories. Only Darren was the monster.

He'd wake up screaming for Yakko, which would make Darren angry. Darren would start hitting him and swearing at him. Wakko wouldn't say anything, and Darren would just get louder and rougher. It was a vicious cycle of hell that he couldn't escape.

Meanwhile, Yakko was barely holding himself together for Dot. With no word from Wakko, he had no clue how he was doing. To call the eldest Warner worried would be a gross understatement. He couldn't sleep and only ate what his stomach could keep down.

He had sent his innocent baby brother right into the lion's den. A kid that he had spent his whole life protecting from that psycho. Why hadn't he fought harder? He should have told Wakko the truth from the start. But he didn't want either of them to have that on their minds. They were just kids.

Now Wakko was gone and it was all his fault. Yakko buried his face into Wakko's pillow, sobbing uncontrollably. How could he have just handed him off like that?! Some protector he turned out to be. Mom would be so disappointed in him.

"Yakko?" Dot placed a gentle hand on his back. He didn't say anything because he didn't know what to say. "I just want you to know, I don't blame you. And I think you shouldn't be blaming you either. You did everything you could."

"No." Yakko shrugged her hand off of him.

"What?" Dot asked, as though she hadn't heard him correctly.

He sat up to face her directly. "No. I could have done more. Whatever Darren does to him, that's all on me. There's things I know that I should have told him, but I didn't."

"You don't know that he would have listened if you did. This isn't on you."

"But it is! All of this is because of me. I should've made sure…" A very strange, almost cold expression came onto Yakko's face.

"Made sure what?" Dot asked, feeling now very lost.

He shook his head, the expression shifting to a neutral one. "Nevermind."

She narrowed her eyes curiously. "What exactly happened the night you got us out?"

In response, Yakko buried his face into his hands. "It was my fault. I should have listened."

Her curiosity turned into concern. "What are you talking about? The house was on fire, mom died, you thought Darren was dead, and then you rescued us from the fire. Right?"

"... Mom was long dead before the house had even caught fire."

Dot was taken aback. ".... What? Yakko, what happened? Please, just talk to me."

Slowly he raised his head up to look her in the eyes. There was nothing but pain on his face. "Mom died… because of me. Because I didn't listen." 

Yakko stood up and turned away from his baby sister. He didn't want to see her reaction, be it pity or judgement. Though the teen had a feeling it would be the former, which was worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time will be Yakko's memory of what happened to their mother.


	13. Broken Promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know you're worried about Wakko, but we're focusing on Yakko for just a minute. Don't worry, he'll be back.
> 
> TW: Use of the r word(I didn't even think about it until a comment pointed it out, so I'm sorry!)

_Yakko was sitting on the floor in the living room, playing peek-a-boo with Dot while Wakko sat nearby chewing on his fingers. The door opened and he flinched, glancing at his two siblings worriedly. Thankfully it wasn't Darren._

_"Mama!" Dot squeaked excitedly. Their mom walked carefully into the room, slightly limping._

_"Are you okay, mommy?" Yakko asked upon noticing the limp. She waved him off dismissively with a forced smile._

_"I'll be fine, sweetheart. But I need to talk to you for a minute, okay?" Her tone was light, but slightly shaky. She trembled as she closed the door and kneeled down to his level._

_"What's wrong?" In response, she gave a cautious look to the closed door._

_"Do you remember that talk that we had, a few weeks ago? About visiting my old friend in Burbank?" He nodded, so she continued. "Your daddy is gonna leave for the bar soon, so I need you to help me pack up. We'll leave tomorrow morning, before he comes back."_

_His eyes widened. "Do you mean it?"_

_She placed a finger to her lips. "But you have to stay quiet. If he finds out, we'll be in big trouble."_

_"Got it. Shh." At the shushing noise, Dot giggled and copied him with a happy smile._

_Their mom looked at all three of them with a sad expression. "And Yakko, if anything goes wrong, promise me you'll look after Wakko and Dot."_

_Yakko glanced at Wakko with a determined nod. "I promise."_

_"There's a good boy. I love you so much. Mwah." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and stood back up._

_The minute they couldn't see Darren's truck in the driveway, Yakko and his mom got to work packing up. He stuffed clothes, a few books, and everything else he could fit into a duffel bag. Wakko and Dot's clothes and toys went into another one, and he also packed up their diaper bag. Once the bags were packed, they were stowed away in the trunk of Mom's car._

_Unfortunately, she'd never be able to get her kids out. Darren came home early, while she was still packing up her things. Yakko was standing outside of the bedroom door with Wakko and Dot when the front door opened. Darren was very drunk, which always ended very badly. Thinking quickly, Yakko pulled Dot and Wakko into the hall closet and hid them behind some coats._

_"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" Darren shouted._

_"I'm not doing anything! I'm just reorganizing their papers." Their mom stammered. Something heavy being thrown was heard, and the three of them flinched._

_"Just organizing, right. Don't you fucking lie to me, woman! You're trying to go, aren't you? Aren't you?!" He slammed something on the floor and it shattered._

_Their mom fled the room, her footsteps moving towards the kitchen. "You stay away from me! You're being crazy!"_

_He followed right behind. "I'm being crazy? I ain't the one packing a goddamn bag. Tell me this, are you cheating on me?"_

_"... What?! Are you insane? I'm not cheating." There came the sound of a slap, and her crying out in pain._

_Stop lying you little whore! Who are you sleeping with?!" He slapped her again._

_"Nobody! You're drunk! Leave me alone!"_

_Yakko stood up, placing a finger to his lips as he looked back at his siblings. He couldn't let Darren hurt his mom. The seven year old slowly crept out of the hall closet and made his way to the kitchen._

_"Hey! Leave her alone you jerk!" He shouted, trying to get between them._

_"You stay out of this, boy!" Darren snapped, turning his attention to Yakko._

_"You leave him alone! He's just a boy!" Mom cried._

_"A boy who needs to learn his place!" Darren raised his hand to smack him, but was held back by Mom. "You get your hands off of me, bitch!"_

_"Stay away from my son! I won't let you hurt him!" Darren struggled out of her grip and backhanded her across the face. She lost her balance and fell, hitting her temple on the sharp corner of the counter. Her body went limp as she hit the ground._

_"Mom! Mom?!" Yakko dropped to the floor beside her. Blood began gushing down the side of her face, and her eyes were as lifeless as a doll. She wasn't breathing. "Mommy! Get up!"_

_"Stop that blubbering, boy! She should've listened to me. And you better learn too or you'll be right there with her." Darren stated coldly._

_"How could you?!" Grief shifted quickly to anger. "You monster! I'll… I'll…"_

_Darren lifted him up by the back of his shirt. "You'll what? Kill me?"_

_Yakko glared defiantly, looking him directly in the eyes. "You'll pay for this!"_

_"By who, you? You don't have the guts to kill. You're all bark and no bite, boy," He threw the young boy down on the ground as though he were just a piece of garbage._

_The only response he was given was just another glare, so Darren continued. "Now, I want you to get up and grab your little bratty sister, and that retard brother of yours, and go the fuck to bed. We'll leave in the morning."_

_At the insults, the muscles in Yakko's jaw twitched from rage. But he refrained from giving a response. Darren left the room, presumably to go pass out somewhere, and Yakko pressed his face to his mother's chest to sob quietly. After he had no more tears to shed, he looked up and remembered his promise._

_Wakko and Dot needed to be kept safe. He had to get them to Burbank. Tonight._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you Darren is bad. And Yakko has a lot of anger because of it. Their mother was a woman who tried her best, and died trying. Though she never knew about what Darren did to Wakko when he was a baby.
> 
> And out of the three kids, Yakko got the brunt of things to protect Wakko and Dot.


	14. Phoning Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to go back and make an edit on the last chapter, because I completely forgot to put up a TW for the use of a very nasty word Darren used to describe Wakko. I'm sorry to anyone I may have hurt, and it won't happen again.
> 
> That said, let's get back to the plot.

Yakko was pulled out of his unpleasant memory by his phone ringing. He fumbled for a moment before quickly answering it. "Hello?!"

There was some shuffling, a quiet sob, and then, "Yakko…"

"Wakko?! Are you okay? Where are you? Did he hurt you?!" He was talking a mile a minute in full panic mode.

Two hours before, Darren had left the motel room to go to the bar. This was after beating up Wakko senseless. He had punched him, kicked him, smacked him, and even broke a bottle against his face. And then he walked out the door. Leaving Wakko lying in the middle of the floor with a bloody nose, a split lip, glass shards in his face, and a dozen bruises.

He woke up in agonizing pain. Everything hurt so much, and he couldn't even remember what he had done to set Darren off. The young toon forced himself to his feet and stumbled into the bathroom. He rinsed the blood off and carefully picked out the glass from his face, which stung.

As he looked at his battered reflection in the mirror, Wakko felt extremely broken. He was gonna die in here. Darren was going to kill him one day. And he wouldn't have anyone to….

Wait! His phone was still in the room. He could call for help. But who to call? Wakko blinked and he swore his reflection flickered to that of the seven year old boy who had saved him once. The very same person who had promised to always be there.

When he blinked again, the mirror was back to his own busted up face. But he had his answer. He walked out of the bathroom and to the bedside table. That's where Darren had put his phone.

Wakko reached out and tugged on the handle of the door. Then again. And again. The drawer was locked, because of course it was locked. He glanced at the room door nervously before digging through the room to find something to pry open the drawer.

Finally, he found a screwdriver. Now, how did they do it in movies…? He jammed the screwdriver into the keyhole as hard as he could and wiggled it around. After a minute, the lock clicked open.

He quickly opened the drawer and dug through it until he found his phone. Shakily, he turned it on and went to his contacts, clicking the one at the very top. Yakko. Nervously he paced around while it rang.

When Yakko answered, he couldn't speak for a moment. There was so much relief at hearing his older brother's voice. Even though he was talking too fast for him to understand what he was saying.

Once Yakko paused to take a breath, Wakko told him, "Everything hurts… Can you come get me? I'm sorry I left."

Yakko's blood turned to ice. "Yeah, you got it, Wak. Where are you?" 

Wakko gave him the name of the motel and the room number shakily. With how distraught Wakko sounded, Yakko was desperately trying not to think about what Darren had done. He'd figure that out later.

"Wakko, I'm gonna need you to listen to me very carefully, okay?" Yakko stated, keeping his tone gentle.

"Okay…" Wakko whimpered, still sniffling.

He tried to think of somewhere his little brother could stay until he got there. "Is there a lock on the bathroom door in the room?"

Wakko walked into the bathroom and checked the door. "Yeah, why?"

"Good. Now, I want you to go into the bathroom, close the door, and lock it behind you. I'll be there soon, okay?" His mind was racing as he tried to think of a quick way of getting to Wakko.

"Wait! Please don't hang up!" Wakko cried in panic.

"Bud, I have to go so I can come get you. I need you to be really brave for me right now, can you do that?"

"Okay, I'll be brave…" Wakko sniffled.

"I promise, I'll be there soon. I love you." And even though it hurt like hell to do it, Yakko hung up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are not even close to being over.


	15. Save Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I had to readjust this chapter, because originally this was just gonna be the bit with Yakko and Dot, but then I realized it was entirely too short. So, Yakko's confrontation with Darren will be next chapter.

It took Yakko just a few minutes to think of a plan. Not a good one, but something quick. "C'mon Dot, we're gonna go get Wakko." He stated, grabbing one of his coats as they left the tower.

Dot eyed the coat with a confused expression. "What's with the coat? It isn't raining or anything."

"I don't know what kind of shape Darren left him in, so I wanna give him something soft and comforting for the ride home." They walked through the lot as he looked around for the right set.

"Okay, now what are we looking for here? You said you needed to find a ride."

Now where was it… Bingo. "Yup. And I think I just found one." Yakko broke into one of the sets of some action movie he couldn't remember the name of. Something about motorcycles.

Against one wall were several motorcycles, and at the end of the row was one with a sidecar. Their ride. Dot gave him an incredulous look.

"You're stealing a motorcycle?" He pulled out a helmet from his hammerspace, placing it onto her head securely before putting one on himself.

"Not stealing, borrowing. And it's for a good reason," Yakko replied, placing her in the sidecar and hopping on. "But if you or Wakko ever try something like this, you're grounded."

"Whatever you say, dadoo." Dot chuckled. He started up the motorcycle and sped off into the night, hoping that Wakko would be okay.

* * *

Wakko was sitting against the bathroom door with his knees against his chest, murmuring to himself. "I am brave… I am brave…"

The front door opened and he jumped to his feet. Had Yakko made it to him that quickly? Just as he was reaching out to open the door, Darren's voice froze him in his tracks.

"Wakko! Where are you at, boy?" His voice sounded weird, almost like he was talking slower.

He didn't answer, instead choosing to back away from the door in fear. His lack of a response made Darren angrier.

"Wakko! Answer me you little fuck!" His footsteps got closer to the bathroom door, and Wakko pressed himself against the back wall.

Darren tried to open the door, knocking on it when he found it to be locked. The young toon covered his mouth to muffle his whimpers.

"Wakko! I know you're in here! Open this goddamn door! Wakko! Open the fucking door!" He started beating on the door harder, and the door appeared to start giving in.

Yakko wouldn't make it in time. Wakko glanced at the window. It was right above the toilet, and just big enough for him to squeeze through. He scrambled up the toilet and struggled to pry open the window.

Darren punched a hole through the door and looked in. "Wakko! What the fuck do you think you're doing?! Don't you dare move! Wakko!"

As soon as the window was open, Wakko jumped out. He ran around the building, trying to find somewhere to hide. But there was nowhere he could go.

Darren stepped in front of him. "There you are! I told you don't fucking move!"

"No! Go away!" Wakko cried, backing up. He stumbled on something on the ground and fell down.

"Where do you think you're going? You can't run from me you little bastard!" Wakko scrambled backwards, not taking his eyes off of Darren.

"Please!" He whimpered. Darren grabbed onto one of his legs.

"Get your ass over here you ungrateful little prick!"

He clawed desperately at the ground, struggling to pull away. But Darren was too strong. 

"What the fuck did you do?! I saw your phone was gone, so what did you do?" He shifted his grip to hold him by the front of his sweatshirt.

"I didn't do anything!" Wakko cried.

"Don't you lie to me you little fuck! Who did you call?!" Darren shook him violently.

"No one! I swear!" Wakko struggled in his grip, but wasn't strong enough to get free.

"I give you a roof over your head, somewhere to sleep, and you wanna act like this?! Fine! It's high time you learned some manners! And daddy isn't here to protect you this time"

"Please!" This was it. Darren was gonna kill him. He just hoped that Yakko wouldn't blame himself. Darren put a hand on his throat and let go of his sweatshirt, holding him up by the neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, leaving it on a cliffhanger. I'm terrible. Don't worry though, Wakko will be okay.


	16. Help Arrives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not gonna go how you think it's gonna go. This isn't the end. Not by a long shot.
> 
> Also, the title is a reference to an Avengers soundtrack. Infinity War. I had it stuck in my head while writing, that's why I used it.

Just as he was pulling in, Yakko could see Darren holding Wakko by the neck. Yakko had barely stopped the motorcycle when he jumped off. "Darren, stop! Let him go!"

"Should have guessed you called him." He squeezed Wakko's neck tighter.

Wakko clawed at his hand, face going red from the lack of oxygen. "I said let him go!" Yakko jumped onto Darren's back, wrapping his arms around his neck. Wakko was dropped to the ground as Darren struggled against Yakko's grip.

"Get the hell off of me you little fuck!" Yakko pulled away to get in front of Wakko protectively, his eyes full of rage 

"I told you to stay away from him!" Behind him, Wakko was coughing and hacking as he tried to breathe.

"And yet he told me you let him go. Isn't that funny?" Darren chuckled humorlessly.

"I'm here now, like I promised him I would be. That's what matters. Because unlike you, I actually care about him."

"You have no clue what it's like being a parent-"

"I know plenty, considering you never did anything. Sure, I make mistakes every once in a while. But I am a hundred times more of a dad than you EVER were."

Darren backhanded him, causing him to stumble slightly. "Don't you ever disrespect me like that! Little fucker!"

Yakko stood firm. "Or what? I'm not afraid of you!"

"You still think you can take me on, like a big man? But you couldn't get rid of me then. No matter how much you fucking wanted to. Because you'll always be that scared little bitch crying for mommy."

"Fuck you! You don't scare me! You're just some sad old man who gets his kicks knocking around people he sees as inferior. But I've got news for you, I'm stronger than you." Yakko stated with a glare.

Darren swung at him again, but missed. "Boy, you best start watching your mouth around me."

"No! You don't control me! And I'm not gonna let you hurt us anymore!" His exclamation made Darren pause.

He began chuckling darkly. "You know, you really remind me of your mother… right before I killed her."

Wakko whimpered in fear, but Yakko barely flinched. "I'm only gonna say this once. Leave me and my kids alone, or-"

"You'll kill me? You already tried that, remember? Didn't work. Didn't have the balls for it then and you sure as shit don't have 'em now. You're too soft."

Yakko reared back and punched him in the face, causing him to fall down. "You want soft? I'll show you soft!"

Behind him, Wakko whimpered once more. As much as Yakko wanted to let out everything he had burning in him onto Darren, Wakko and Dot had to come first. They didn't need to deal with more of the past. He'd handle Darren one on one later.

Yakko leaned down and picked up his little brother gently. "C'mon bud, let's get you home." Wakko buried his face into Yakko's chest, not saying anything.

"Boy! Don't you walk away from me! Yakko!" Darren shouted wildly as he stood back up.

However, all he was given in response was Yakko raising his middle finger as he carried Wakko to the motorcycle. Darren moved to follow, still shouting, when another voice cut in.

"Hey! Some of us are trying to sleep here! Leave those kids alone or I'm gonna call the cops on your ass!" It was just a random man standing in the doorway of his room, phone in hand.

"Mind your own fucking business, dipshit!" While Darren was yelling at the other guy, Yakko took the opening to get Wakko settled into the sidecar of the motorcycle. He wrapped the coat around him and placed a helmet on his head.

By the time Darren realized what was happening, Yakko had already cut on the engine. "Don't you fucking leave boy! Yakko! This ain't over!"

"I know. I'll see you later, 'dad'." Yakko spat, sarcasm dripping from his tone before driving off the lot quickly.

This wasn't gonna be over until he finished things himself. But he had to make sure Wakko was okay first. Dealing with Darren would have to wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how it happened. I wanted this to be close to the end. But I think I remembered being a kid and being uncomfortable hearing my parents go off on each other. It isn't fun being a kid and watching that up close. And Wakko was right there, terrified as shit and in need of comforting. 
> 
> I'm with Yakko, torn between wanting to rip apart Darren, and comforting Wakko. Gotta say, it's a tough call, but I have to go with taking care of the kiddos. That's actually what sets Yakko apart from Darren.


	17. Paternal Instinct

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm slowing my roll a tad. I know I've been spoiling you with two chapters a day, but I'm not able to keep up with that at the moment. So I'm sorry.
> 
> Wakko gets his hot chocolate!

The entire ride back, Yakko kept glancing between his siblings and behind them. He didn't think that Darren was following them, but he couldn't relax. Wakko was holding on tightly to his coat with one hand, burying his face into the comforting fabric.

Dot had a hold on Wakko's other hand. Neither of them were saying anything. But honestly, what could be said? She had heard everything that had been said, but didn't want to move in fear of Darren going after her. Dot had known he was bad, but what she heard chilled her. And seeing the aftermath of what he had done to Wakko made her feel sick.

When Yakko pulled into the lot, he scooped up Wakko and carried him back to the tower. Once the three of them were inside, he took Wakko into the bathroom to assess his injuries.

Unfortunately, Wakko refused to let Yakko put him down, clinging to him like a baby koala. "Bud, I know you're scared. But I need to see what all he did to you."

"No… don't let me go!" He whimpered. Yakko gave a sad sigh, sitting down on the edge of the tub.

"You're safe now. I have you, and I'm not gonna let Darren hurt you anymore. Okay?" The eldest Warner began to rock back and forth with Wakko in his arms.

After a bit, Wakko relaxed enough to let Yakko take a look at his injuries. His face was the worst of it, with a few small shards of glass still embedded into his skin. Yakko took a pair of tweezers, some rubbing alcohol, and bandages and got to work. Everytime Wakko would flinch or whimper in pain, Yakko would wince sympathetically.

"I'm sorry. I know it hurts, I'm trying to go gentle."

Once his face was cleaned up and bandaged, Wakko mumbled, "I'm sorry I left…"

"Don't. I don't want to hear you apologizing for any of this. It isn't your fault, it's mine for being overprotective." He lifted up Wakko's hat to ruffle the fur on his head.

Wakko protested, "But you told me he was bad-"

"And I should have been more specific. You had no way of knowing what I meant." Yakko stated.

He walked to the kitchen with Wakko and Dot following close behind. They sat on the counter, watching him make three mugs of hot chocolate. Wakko accepted one mug and took a large sip of the comforting beverage.

"He's gonna come back, isn't he?" Dot asked with a worried expression as she was handed a mug.

"Yes, but it'll be okay. I'll handle him." He replied with a serious expression. Yakko wasn't just certain that Darren was coming back for them, he was counting on it.

"What exactly did he mean when he made the comment about you trying to kill him?" Dot's question made the eldest Warner freeze mid-sip.

Yakko swallowed hard, placing the mug gently on the counter. He looked at his siblings, then away from them before saying, "... He meant exactly what he said, technically."

Dot's eyes went wide, and Wakko spat out a mouthful of hot chocolate in surprise. Immediately Yakko went to grab some towels to clean up the mess.

"I swear, you have to make a mess with everything…" Yakko mumbled with a gentle smile as he wiped the chocolatey mess off of Wakko's face and neck. 

Dot and Wakko watched him curiously. It was almost odd, the way he went from the vague answers and coldness when talking about Darren, to being paternal caregiver. Like flipping a switch.

Noticing their expressions, he lifted an eyebrow. "What?"

"How do you do that?" Dot carefully asked. Yakko wiped off the mess from the counter.

"How do I do what? I'm just cleaning up a mess." He replied, feeling slightly confused.

"That! Whenever we're talking about Darren or our past, you get all weird and cryptic. And then boom, all of a sudden you're all mother hen." Dot stated in exasperation.

"You were gonna fight Darren back there, but left with us." Wakko added quietly.

He tossed the soiled paper towels into the trash. "I don't know what to tell you. Instinct? Yes, I'd very much like to bust that sick old bast..." Yakko shook his head before continuing. "Point is, you two are my top priority above everything. That's how it always has been, that's how it always will be."

"... When did I learn how to talk?" Wakko asked randomly.

Yakko thought for a moment before saying "You were about 5. Your first word was 'yum,' despite how hard I tried getting you to say my name." He chuckled with a very fond expression.

When Wakko and Dot started yawning, he glanced at his watch. It was a little after midnight. Deciding to leave the mugs for the morning, he picked up both of his siblings and carried them to bed. Wakko curled up on one side, and Dot curled up on the other. They fell asleep not too long after.

Yakko kept his arms around them protectively and closed his eyes, but didn't fall asleep. He had to stay on guard. No matter how relieved he felt to have Wakko back, he couldn't afford to get comfortable. Not until Darren had been taken care of. For good this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yakko is right to not relax.


	18. The Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't get too comfy. Darren hasn't gone anywhere. He'll be back. Just not quite yet.

_Wakko was wrapped up in something soft. Everything was dark, and he was in someone's arms. Confused, he whimpered softly._

_"Shh, it's gonna be okay now." Yakko whispered. Wakko poked his head out from the blanket and looked up._

_His older brother was carrying him and Dot through the house. In the kitchen was something lying underneath a slightly blood stained sheet. Wakko squirmed around to look closer, but Yakko quickly turned to block his view._

_"Don't look, Wakko. Don't look."_

_The scene shifted to Wakko walking down a long hallway wrapped in a blanket. The figure in the bloodstained sheet was standing at the end._

_"Come to me…" She called softly, reaching out a hand towards him from beneath the sheet._

_He continued to walk towards her, as if in a trance. Her voice sounded so familiar, so soothing._

_"Come to me… my previous baby…." She began to walk towards him slowly._

_"Wakko, don't look!" Yakko called from behind him. He paused, glancing back at his older brother in confusion._

_A very cold and boney hand gripped his arm tightly. "Come to me!" She screamed._

Wakko opened his eyes, and moved to sit up, but couldn't because Yakko had an arm around him tightly. As he shifted, Yakko glanced down.

"You okay?" He asked.

"... I think I had a dream about mom." Wakko mumbled.

"What happened?" Yakko gave him a slightly concerned look.

"I heard her voice…" He then proceeded to tell his older brother about the dream.

As he spoke, Yakko tensed slightly. "That was mom. The night she died, I tried to get you guys out quickly so you wouldn't see."

Dot stirred slightly, blinking up at them. "What are you two talking about?" She asked sleepily.

"Nothing really." The eldest Warner replied, resting his head back onto the pillow and closing his eyes.

"How did we get out that night?" Wakko questioned.

Yakko cracked an eye open, sighing in exhaustion as he sat up. "Give me a minute to grab some coffee, and I'll tell you."

Their eyes went wide. "Everything?" Dot asked.

He nodded as he let go of them to hop out of bed. "Everything." Yakko left the room quickly, taking several deep breaths.

As the coffee brewed, he drummed his fingers on the countertop anxiously. He didn't want to talk about that night, but Wakko and Dot deserved the truth. He owed them that much. 

With the mug firmly in hand, the teen marched back to the room as though he was a dead man walking. His siblings sat side by side on the bed, giving him their full attention as he entered.

"So… everything." Yakko said, taking a quick sip of coffee. The two nodded, and he began his tale.

He told them of their mom's plan, Darren coming home early, and hiding the three of them in a closet, but skimming slightly over the death of their mother. It was for his sake as well as theirs. As he spoke, Wakko and Dot huddled in closer.

When he got to the part of him wrapping up Wakko and Dot in a blanket, Yakko paused. "And then what happened?" Dot urged, hands clasped together anxiously.

He hesitated for a minute before replying "... I took you two outside and put you in a little red wagon. Tied that to my bike."

"And then?" Wakko urged, looking up at him anxiously.

Yakko took another sip of coffee, looking away from his siblings with a distant look in his eyes.

"... Then I set the house on fire."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sipping coffee casually* What? Who else would have started it? Don't worry though, you'll get that story next time.


	19. The Full Story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The backstory to how they got out. Literally the entire time I was writing this chapter, I had a list of fire hazards, and watched a video of people blowing up a microwave.

Wakko and Dot gaped for a moment before Dot found her voice. "... What?!"

"I knew Darren would try to come after us if we just left. So, I did what I had to do."

_Once Wakko and Dot were secure in the wagon, Yakko got to work. He went into the kitchen, trying to avoid staring at his mom under the sheet as he turned every burner on the stove at high. Then he went to the microwave and jammed an entire roll of foil into it, setting the time to five minutes._

_From there, he grabbed a set of matches and lighter fluid from the drawer and began moving through the house and squeezing the bottle. Darren woke up upon hearing the commotion in the kitchen._

_"What the fuck are you doing you little bastard?" He called. As he went to charge Yakko, he slipped and fell onto his back. "Yakko! What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"_

_Yakko glared at him coldly, struggling to light the match. "I'm leaving!"_

_"Boy, stop! I'm warning you!" Darren shouted, trying to get onto his feet._

_Yakko lit the match and threw it towards him. "I'm not scared of you!"_

_The floor around him immediately was set ablaze. A loud boom was heard from the kitchen as it too caught fire. Yakko threw the empty bottle of lighter fluid at Darren, hitting him in the chest._

_"I'M NOT AFRAID OF YOU!!" He shouted angrily as the flames around them grew. Darren stumbled back, and Yakko ran through the flames and out the door._

_He hopped onto his bike without a second thought, not entirely even sure of where to go. But he knew that he had to keep his siblings safe._

"Whoa…." Was the only thing Wakko and Dot could say to that.

"That's why I thought he had died. Although I was more focused on getting you two out." He took another sip of his coffee.

Dot pondered for a moment before realizing, "That's why we weren't covered in soot or burns in the video…."

Yakko nodded. "You two were never in the fire. I wasn't gonna risk it."

Wakko and Dot wrapped him in a hug, which honestly surprised him. "Thank you." Wakko mumbled.

In response, Yakko sat down his now empty mug to hug them back without a single word. A few tears ran down his face, and he pressed a kiss to Wakko and Dot's heads.

They were interrupted by Yakko's phone ringing. Reluctantly, he pulled away from his siblings to answer it. "It's the ceo?" Feeling confused, he clicked accept.

"Hello Yakko, I need you and your siblings to come to my office right away." She stated before immediately hanging up.

"... That was weird." Dot commented.

"Very weird." Yakko replied. The CEO almost never asked for them directly. He had a very bad feeling about this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ceo is not Nora. She's kind of a wild card, and plus I really doubt she'd wanna talk to the kids directly. But I didn't want to use 'ole Plotzy, because he can be a bit of a jerk to the kids at times.


	20. An Unexpected Ally

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll just say, you know kinda what's coming.

The walk to the executive offices was tense and long. While the CEO had only been in charge for about five years, she had only said maybe two words to the Warners, and she had a bit of a reputation for being intimidating. Yakko kept a firm grip on Wakko and Dot's hands, not letting go until they reached the CEOs office. The door was cracked open, and they could hear the sound of two voices.

"... Could very well lead to a lawsuit if you don't comply." An unfamiliar woman said.

"We shall see." Myla, the CEO replied. As Yakko, Wakko, and Dot filed in closely, a third figure stood up from his chair and they froze in their tracks.

"Kids, I've missed you so much." Darren stated, as though he hadn't seen them in years.

Yakko stood in front of Wakko and Dot defensively, his claws poking through his gloves subconsciously. "No."

The unfamiliar woman and Myla looked up. "Hello, I'm Judith with Toon Child Services. I'm here to reunite you with your dad right here." She held out a hand for them to shake, but Yakko completely ignored her.

Wakko and Dot were pressed into Yakko's back tightly, clutching his pant legs fearfully. "Go away, we don't want you here." The eldest Warner growled.

"See, it's exactly like what I said. Their mom had been filling his head with lies about me, now they all think I'm some kinda monster." Darren said, gesturing to Yakko for emphasis.

"You are so full of it! We just saw you! And you tried to kill Wakko! For the second time, by the way. First time he was just a baby!" He snapped, shaking from rage.

"... Like I was telling you before, the three of them are in contract with us. The studio is by law, their legal guardian. Until such time when Yakko comes of age." Myla stated calmly.

"That contract was done under the assumption of the parents being deceased. If one is alive, then he is entitled to them by that same law." Judith replied with a smug grin.

"No! We're not going anywhere with him!" Yakko said.

Judith looked at him with that same smile. "And that's perfectly fine, Yakko. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do…" She spoke slowly, as though speaking to a very small child.

"Okay then." Her tone irritated him. Darren looked very pleased, which didn't help his mood.

"... Your siblings on the other hand will have to go though, as they are not of the age to make that decision themselves."

"No! We don't wanna go!" Dot cried out. Wakko meanwhile couldn't find his voice, so just held on tighter and sobbed quietly.

"I'm not letting you take them from me." Yakko said through clenched teeth.

"You don't have a choice. Whether you want to or not, your siblings are going with your dad."

Myla clicked a button on her phone, "Katie! Where is Dr. Scratchnsniff?! I asked for him fifteen minutes ago!"

"He's in Records trying to find their files. He'll be up in a few."

"Good," Myla turned back to Darren and Judith as she stood up. "Dr. Scratchnsniff has been at this studio a very, very long time, and he was one of the first people on scene when these kids were discovered on the lot. So he knows what he's talking about."

"That's nice and all, but I'm taking my kids back." Darren moved to take a step towards Yakko, and immediately Myla stepped between them defensively. Even though Darren was a full head taller than Myla, she seemed to tower over him.

"You get your ass back in that chair before I put you out that goddamn window." She growled with a very firm glare, gesturing to the large window behind her desk.

Reluctantly, he sat back down as Scratchy walked in holding a box with files and tapes. "Sorry I'm late, but zat room was very messy." The doctor said, placing the box on Myla's desk.

"Dr. Scratchnsniff, thank you for joining us. Do you mind telling us about what's in those files for our guests here?"

"Not at all. Ze box contains everything we got from ze kidses seven years ago. Ze three of zem were a bit shy, und Yakko seemed incredibly agitated at first. He looked like he had been through a great deal. When he finally let us examine him und his siblings, we found that in addition to ze minor burns he had, there were also a lot of bruises. Some old, some recent. Wakko had some old bruises, und he was very quiet. He never spoke until a few years later." Scratchy explained, showing the files to Judith.

As he talked, Yakko tensed up, but said nothing. It seemed like Myla had the situation handled.

"Thank you Doctor," Myla said with a kind smile, before turning back to Darren and Judith with a stern expression. "Now, I've got a question for you two. Do you have a court order?"

The social worker was taken aback. "... No?"

"Then you're not going anywhere with any of these babies." At her statement, Darren jumped up.

"You can't do that! They're MY kids!" He cried out.

"I'm gonna put this straight so there are no misunderstandings. These kids ain't going nowhere without my say so. And you're not getting my say so without a court order. Understand?"

"But-" Judith started. Myla turned on her, fists clenched.

"No. You don't have a court order, so these kids are staying right here. Together, like they should be. You make any move to take them and your little butt is gonna get introduced to my foot. You understand that?"

She nodded quickly. Darren crossed his arms, face twisted in anger.

"Good. Now both of you get your asses out of my office before you really piss me off. Dr Scratchnsniff, could you please see that they actually leave?"

Scratchy nodded and followed them out. "... That was cool." Dot blurted once the door shut behind them, letting go of Yakko. Wakko stepped back slowly, looking at her curiously.

"Just doing my job. Taking out the trash. He'll be back though, no doubt about that." Myla replied, sitting back down.

"Why did you help us?" Yakko asked. She ran a hand through her hair with a sad smile.

"Because you have my eyes," When they all looked confused, she continued. "Every day, I look in the mirror, and I see this tired person looking back at me. It's the same look I see on you, Yakko. An old soul, wise beyond your years. Life has dealt you a shit hand, and you deserve better. So, consider me an ally. You need something, just ask."

Yakko walked towards her slowly. Myla held out her arms and he collapsed into them, letting her hold him as tears began falling down his face. Wakko and Dot were quick to follow.

"Thank you…" Yakko said between sobs. She rubbed his back in a soothing manner.

"Shh… just let everything out… it'll all be okay now…" She crooned. After a few minutes, they pulled away.

"You're really gonna help us?" Yakko asked after wiping his face. Myla nodded.

"Damn right I am. Everything I can anyways. Now go on home, I've got another meeting waiting." She pulled a compact mirror from her drawer to check her makeup.

The three Warners walked back to the tower huddled together, feeling actually hopeful for the future. With Myla on their side, Yakko felt like they actually had a way of getting rid of Darren for good. It was a nice feeling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am forever having to remind myself that Yakko is still just a fourteen year old KID. And all three of them deserve a break... Before Darren puts them through more hell.


	21. Ambush

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, putting an abusive dickhead in his place is fun, but it always comes back to bite the abused parties. Unfortunately.

A week went by with no word from Darren. Instead of feeling relieved, it just made the eldest Warner more tense. Darren was planning something, he knew it. Every night he laid awake in bed listening and waiting for him to strike. But nothing.

Until one evening. Yakko had finally drifted off to sleep, and Dot was woken up by the sound of a car driving by the tower. It was late at night. Too late for someone to be on the lot still. She frowned and crept out of bed to peek out the door. At first, the youngest Warner didn't see anything, and so she stepped out onto the balcony to get a better look.

"Hello? Is someone there?" Dot called, walking to the railing and looking around. A familiar looking car was parked a little ways from the tower. She glanced back at the door. Dot knew that she should get Yakko, but at the same time, what if it was nothing? He hadn't been sleeping enough as is. 

With that in mind, Dot climbed down the ladder to walk towards the car. She had to be sure. If she was right, then she'd get Yakko.

Unfortunately for her, she was right. Darren stepped out from beside the car as Dot got closer. "You're up past your bedtime." He said with a crooked grin.

Yakko was awoken to the sound of Dot screaming in fear. From outside of the tower. "DOT!" He leaped out of bed and rushed the door towards the sound of her scream. Wakko wasn't much farther behind.

Darren chased Dot into the executive offices. "Don't run from me, kid!"

"Leave me alone!" She cried, ducking into an open door, slamming and locking it behind her.

"Sweetheart, come to me! I promise I won't be mad!" He made it to the room she was in, smirking when Dot whimpered in fear as he tried the handle. "Dot, open this door." Darren said with a fake sweet tone.

"No! Go away!" Dot looked around the room, spying a vent that was just big enough for her to squeeze through.

Darren started kicking and punching the door. "You're starting to piss me off, kid. Open this door!"

Dot pried open the vent, slipping in just as Darren knocked the door in. As he stepped in, he looked around in a mixture of confusion and annoyance. When he spotted the open vent, Darren became enraged.

"You little bitch! When I get my hands on you, I'll fucking give you something to cry about!"

She whimpered and crawled faster through the vents. Yakko and Wakko ran through the halls, hearing Darren's yelling. When they reached the same hallway Darren was in, Yakko paused. "Wakko, try to find Dot and get out of here."

"But what about you?" He replied, looking up at his brother worriedly.

Yakko patted him on the head. "I'll keep Darren occupied."

"No!" At Wakko's outburst, Darren looked up.

"What's this? You two are in here? Came to get your baby sister?" He started walking towards him.

"... Shit. Wakko, go!" Yakko commanded. Wakko hesitated, taking off his hat and handing it to Yakko.

"Come back." He said before running away from them.

"I promise." Yakko nodded, placing Wakko's hat on and turning it backwards as he faced Darren.

"Aw, isn't that so touching." Darren said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"Save it. Are we gonna do this, or are you just gonna stand around running your mouth?" Yakko asked seriously, tossing his gloves down and extending his claws.

"You know, I'm kinda impressed. You've actually got guts. Just too bad I'm gonna splatter them all over the building. And then I'm gonna kill Wakko, just for the fun of it."

"Shut up!" Yakko growled, charging at Darren and swiping at him with his claws.

Wakko forced himself away from the fighting behind him. He had to find Dot. Yakko would be fine. 

"Dot! Where are you?!" He called, wandering through the halls.

Noticing Wakko calling to her, Dot crawled out of a nearby vent. "Hey! Where's Yakko?"

"He's with Darren. He told me to get you and leave." Wakko said. The two of them shared a look.

"You wanna go help take him out together?" It wasn't really a question.

"You read my mind, sis. What's the plan?"

Blood was running down Yakko's face and neck as Darren's claws sliced into his skin, but he ignored it while punching and clawing at him. Darren grabbed him by the throat and threw him to the floor.

"You honestly have what it takes to be a big man like me? You're pathetic!" Darren shouted, kicking him in the stomach and chest.

"I'm nothing like you. I'll never be like you!" Yakko groaned, holding up his arms to protect his face.

"You're right. Because you're weak! Little bitch, just like your mom!"

The eldest Warner forced himself to his feet, spitting blood. "No. She was better than you! And you know that."

"Yeah? But she's still dead. And you're gonna join her." Darren lifted Yakko up by the throat and started squeezing.

"NO! YAKKO!" Wakko screamed from up the hall. Darren turned at the sound with a grin.

"Well, well, well. Doesn't this feel familiar? I think you had that same look, right before your mom died." Yakko clawed at his hands and arms, struggling to get a breath in.

Black spots began entering his vision, and Yakko's struggles weakened as Darren's grip grew tighter.

"YAKKO!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... I did it again. I swear, I don't do cliffhangers on purpose. Not always anyway. Sometimes they're cool for dramatic effect. In this case it was just where I happened to end the chapter.


	22. Last Stand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it.

Upon hearing Wakko's anguished cries, Dot moved faster through the vents. She knocked open one right above Darren and dropped onto his shoulders, digging her claws into his face.

"Let him go!" She cried. Darren released Yakko to swipe at her, but was stopped by Wakko pouncing on him.

Yakko dropped to his hands and knees, gasping for air. "Sibs…" He coughed, struggling to his feet.

Darren grabbed Wakko and Dot by their necks firmly. "You shouldn't have done that you little fucks! Take a good long look at them, boy! This is what happens when you disobey me!"

"NO!" Yakko growled, jumping at Darren and causing him to fall back. Wakko and Dot fell to the ground beside him. "You don't fucking touch them! This is between you and me!"

"Yakko, no!" Wakko cried, holding onto his arm. He was hardly in a position to fight, barely keeping himself upright.

"You oughta listen to him. It'll keep you alive longer, boy."

Wakko and Dot grabbed onto his arms, pulling him away from Darren as they ran through the halls. He gave them a few moments before running after them. There was nowhere for them to go.

They ran into one of the offices, barricading the door. Yakko collapsed into a chair. One the door was blocked, Wakko laid into him. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"

"I told you to go." Yakko retorted, his voice hoarse.

"And you'd be dead if we listened. What happens to us if you die, huh?" Dot snapped, crossing her arms firmly. "We stay together, remember?"

Yakko had the decency to look guilty at her statement. Without him, Wakko and Dot wouldn't be able to take on Darren.

An aggressive knock came on the door. "Alright, playtime's over! Open up! I know you're in there!" Darren called.

Yakko moved to stand up, getting a quick idea. "Hide. I'll be okay." He said.

"Are you crazy?! You're barely standing!" Dot hissed with a stern expression.

Darren continued to beat against the door. Their barricade wouldn't last forever. "Boy! Open this door!"

The eldest Warner looked from the door to his younger siblings. "Trust me. Please." He pleaded, taking Dot's hands in his own.

"What are you doing?" Wakko's eyes narrowed.

"I have an idea. But just need you two to please just trust me." Yakko stated solemnly.

"What is it?" Dot asked with an unsure look.

"You're really not gonna like it." When he explained it, their faces fell.

"That's your plan?!" Wakko exclaimed, pulling on his ears anxiously.

"What happens if it goes wrong?" Dot crossed her arms.

"It won't. I promise. Now c'mon, we don't have time to argue." Yakko kissed their heads and led them under the desk.

As for himself, he took a chair and smashed out the window before standing by it. He felt no fear while waiting, only a burning fury he'd held onto since he was very young. All because of Darren.

The door finally caved in and Darren pushed through. "Where are they?!" He demanded, face red from anger. Wakko and Dot placed their hands on their mouths to keep quiet.

"They're far away by now. It's just us." Yakko replied calmly.

"You're full of shit. Tell me where they are!"

"You'll have to kill me because I'm not talking." 

"Fine!" Darren yelled, charging at Yakko. In response, Yakko grabbed onto him and pulled them both out the window.

"NO!" Wakko and Dot screamed, coming out from under the desk to look out the window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this time was kinda on purpose with the cliffhanger. I've got a flair for dramatics, what can I say? I regret nothing.


	23. Alive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's almost over. I'm... I don't know how to feel about that. It's bittersweet.

Darren was laying in the lot below, not moving. But Yakko was nowhere to be seen. Wakko and Dot looked around from the window frantically.

"What are we looking for?" A familiar voice asked from behind them. The two youngest Warners looked back and immediately pounced onto their older brother.

"Yakko!" They cried, relieved. From outside, there came the sound of tires squealing before hitting something with a very loud thud.

The three siblings stood up and looked out the window curiously. Darren was no longer where he had landed. Instead, he was several feet away with a very nice cherry red jaguar parked in front of him. Myla stepped out of the car, wearing a black nightie, a satin purple robe and slippers.

"I warned you, Darren. And yet here you are once again. I'd be impressed if it weren't so damn stupid. Police are already en route here. You're gonna be going away a long time. If you even live that long," She glanced up at the window, as if just noticing the three kids there. "You three! Are you alright?"

"Getting there!" Dot called. "Yakko's hurt though!"

"Paramedics will be here in a minute. You better get down here!"

Once they joined her, using the stairs, Dot asked "How did you know we were in trouble?"

"Ralph isn't the only one with access to security cameras. I've been checking them every night since this dumb shit set foot in my office." She replied nonchalantly.

"Makes sense to me." Dot said with a nod. Yakko swayed unsteadily on his feet as adrenaline gave way to fatigue.

Wakko and Dot looked to him in concern. "Yakko?"

"I'm fine…" Yakko mumbled. He took one step and began to fall. Wakko and Dot moved to either side, holding him steady.

As Myla said, paramedics were there quickly. Police arrived shortly after and started asking her about what had happened.

Yakko was loaded up onto a stretcher and placed into the back of an ambulance. Wakko and Dot refused to leave his side, giving very intense looks to any paramedics that looked unsure at having the two in the ambulance. They didn't want him to be alone.

The ride to the hospital was quiet, save for the paramedics working to keep Yakko stable. Evidently he had lost a good amount of blood. Wordlessly, the eldest Warner held out his hand for his siblings to take. Wakko grabbed onto him tightly while Dot grabbed Wakko's other hand.

"We're safe now…" Yakko mumbled, giving them a small smile. It was finally gonna be over.

When they arrived at the hospital, Yakko was wheeled away while Wakko and Dot were sent to a waiting room. The wait while Yakko was being treated was agonizing. Every time a nurse would walk past, they'd ask about their brother. Only to be told that the doctors were working.

Finally, after a few hours a doctor walked in. "Your brother is alive. He had lost a very large amount of blood, but we managed to get him a transfusion and fix him up. He's awake right now, just try not to excite him too much." He explained, walking with them to Yakko's room.

Inside, Yakko was sitting up in bed hooked to an IV with a heart monitor beeping beside him. His skin was slightly more pale than usual, and they had shaved part of his fur to put in the IV. When he saw them, a smile broke out onto his face.

"Hey sibs." He croaked, patting the space next to him.

Wakko and Dot clambered up quickly, being cautious of the wires. "You're okay!" Dot cried in relief.

"More or less. By the way this is yours, Wak." Yakko replied, taking off Wakko's hat and placing it onto his head.

Myla stopped by a bit later to deliver more good news. Darren had died on the way to the hospital, but they weren't sure if it was from being knocked out of a window or being hit by a car. Either way, he wasn't coming back. They were finally all together and safe, as they should be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ding dong the dick is dead! Only one more chapter after this.


	24. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "He may have been your father, but he wasn't your daddy." Yondu, Guardians of the Galaxy 2. Because I'm classy like that.

Five years later Yakko, Wakko, and Dot pulled up to the burnt out shell of a house. Their old home. Nature had overtaken the yard, turning it into a jungle. Yakko gripped the steering wheel tightly as he parked in the dilapidated driveway.

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Dot asked, leaning forward to look out the windshield. Wakko had said nothing the entire way there, just staring out the window with a serious expression.

"Positive. C'mon sibs, let's go in." The eldest Warner said quickly, hopping out of the car.

They walked around the outside for a bit with Yakko telling them stories of their past. Good stuff, mostly. Their mom taking Yakko and Wakko on walks through the neighborhood, or the two brothers playing catch in the backyard during summer when Darren would be in a good mood enough to grill. But after a bit, Yakko knew they had to go inside.

The inside of the house wasn't much different than the outside. There were scorch marks covering the walls, and the floors were dirty and falling apart. When Wakko glanced at the kitchen, he froze. He could still remember seeing his mother lying dead under a sheet. Noticing his younger brother's hesitation, Yakko steered him away from the kitchen. He placed a hand on the door of the hall closet.

"I can remember plenty of nights hiding in here with you two, singing lullabies to keep you quiet. Even when Darren wasn't home, it was always a safe place to be." He said absentmindedly.

When they got to the living room, Yakko stopped. "What is it?" Dot asked, looking around curiously.

Wakko looked up knowingly. There was clear fire damage, but the furniture was still all there. The playpen sat in one corner, rusted. The recliner was nearby, completely scorched, but still in one piece. "This is where he tried to kill me when I was young, right?" He asked, the nightmarish memory clear in his mind.

Yakko grabbed onto Wakko's hand, as though Darren was gonna jump out from around the recliner and attack them. "You weren't even a year old."

Going through the rest of the house was more of the same. A hollowed, burnt out echo of another life. Whispers of old memories called to them within the decaying walls. In the nursery, Dot found a photo laying facedown on the floor. It was of the three of them, Darren, and their mother.

"This is her, isn't it?" It wasn't really a question, but Yakko nodded.

"You have her eyes," He commented with a tender expression. "Wakko has her smile. And she always told me that I laugh just like her."

"I wish we could have been together longer." Wakko mumbled.

"Me too. You would have loved her. Best cook in the world, and she loved you two to bits." Yakko pulled both of his siblings into a tight hug, kissing their heads before pulling away.

When they left their old home, Yakko started the drive back. He didn't look back. Wakko glanced back and saw the seven year old boy pulling a wagon with his young siblings on his bike. When he blinked, the image vanished. He looked back to Yakko, who gave him a small smile, swiping his hat to put on his head. Dot snickered from the backseat, and Wakko just grinned.

Darren may have been their father, but Yakko was a dad to them. And nothing would ever change that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was listening to Father and Son by Cat Stevens because it reminded me of Yakko and Wakko in this story. And also Nobody Else but You from A Goofy Movie (and I2I) It just made me think of everything they've been through, and still came out on top. Mwah! Goodnight everybody! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!

**Author's Note:**

> What do you think? Leave a kudos if you enjoyed, and maybe drop a comment with your thoughts. I love hearing what you peoples have to say.


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